Helena Mary Preston was born on 10th April 1910 at 70 Chaucer Road, Gillingham, Kent. She was one of two children and her parents were Herbert Edwin Preston, a Sergeant in the Royal Marine Light Infantry and Helena Preston, her brother was Herbert Edwin Ronald Preston, known as Ronnie. She moved to Eastbourne in circa 1920 when her Father became a Coastguard Officer, they lived at the Coastguard Station, Latimer Road, Eastbourne. She was educated locally and acquired two nicknames that stayed with her all of her life, the first 'PUCK' as she appeared in a school performance of A Midsummer Nights Dream and played this part. Second was 'BLOSS' as her Father had called her 'his' May Blossom. This name in particular was used by friends and relatives right up until her death in 1997, and she was known locally as 'AUNTIE BLOSS'. On the 30th October 1925 aged 15 she began working for Winefride Pike, Catherine Stewart and Olive Tanner as an apprentice making 'fancy goods' with art, needlework and embroidery. Her term of apprenticeship was for three years and she earned five shillings per week for the first year, ten shillings for the second and fifteen shillings on the third, this equates to 75p a week and £39.00 per year after three years at today's equivalent! At some time during the 1920s she became friendly with her future husband Charles Frederick Best. Little further information is available on Bloss during the late 1920s or 1930s, except to say she did travel abroad on occasions and in about 1936 visited Interlaken in Switzerland. She was also a Bridesmaid at her Brother Ronnie's wedding. With the threat of War she took a number of courses with the Red Cross and St John Ambulance Brigade, becoming trained in Anti Gas Techniques and to administer First Aid to the Injured, and Home Nursing. On 28th October 1941 she joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force as 453689 ACW Preston. In 1943 she volunteered for overseas service, was selected and posted to France, Belgium and Germany as an Intelligence Tracer, part of her ...