STANDING at just 4ft 10in, Olive Wheeler faced a tall order when she was given the job of being Southampton's first postwoman during the Second World War.

It was 1940 and Southampton was the target of repeated air raids and Olive, then just 18, had to dodge the bombs as she made sure the mail got through despite the Blitz.

Olive Taylor, as she is now known, has lived in Southampton all her life and 65 years ago she was living with her parents in Condor Road, Woolston, almost next door to Thornycroft's shipyard.

"I remember going home one day and finding a huge wooden beam had been blown right through my bedroom and landed on my bed after a bomb had exploded at Thornycroft's,'' said 83-year-old Olive from Sholing.

"If I had been there at the time I would not be around today to tell the tale.''

Olive left school at the age of 14 and went into service, helping to keep house for two retired school teachers in Millbrook Road.

"When you reached 18 you had to register either for factory war work or go into the armed services,'' said Olive.

"I went to Pirelli's the cable makers in Western Esplanade but the Blitz put paid to that job and then I heard that the Post Office in High Street was taking on women as sorters leading up to Christmas. When the job came to an end for some reason we could only pick up our wages on Boxing Day afternoon and I discovered I had been given ten shillings (50p) too much. They were brand new notes and two of them had got stuck together so I went back the next day I gave them the money back.

"They were so pleased they asked if there was anything they could do for me and I said 'I would like a job' so that is how I became the Southampton's first postwoman.''

Olive was given a thick serge uniform, which also included a large hat, a cape and she was offered a pair of boots that dated back to the First World War.

"As I only took a size two-and-a-half shoe I didn't think that was a good idea,'' said Olive. "I was also given a small lamp that was clipped on to the strap

of my mail bag.

"The lamp had a hood over the light so you could read the address on the letters but the lamp could not be seen in the blackout.''

Even to this day Olive can remember the names of the streets on her two rounds in Shirley and Woolston. She would start each day at 6am.

"You had to watch your step as I was often out delivering as the bombs came down.''