PAULINE Paulley’s dad was the sergeant major at Bovington so it was not surprising she started work there as a printer aged 16.

What is unusual is she did the same job for 43 years, keeping pace with all the changes in technology.

She was one of the three Bovington civil servants who were awarded the Imperial Service Medal for at least 25 years’ meritorious service.

“I’m so nervous it’s ridiculous,” said Mrs Pauley, from Wool, just before she received her medal from garrison commander Colonel David Swann.

“You do feel that in some small way that you are helping. Some of the booklets we produced were used for our boys in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Unfortunately, I have known people who have come here and later been killed, which is very sad.”

Lt Col Stewart Burman first met her in 1969 when he was one of the hundreds of young soldiers who would try and woo the camp’s handful of girls at the weekly dances.

He said: “She is a star, a real character who went that extra mile, particularly with charity work. There was always a cake sale going on.”

In the last three years she has raised £9,000 for the Air Ambulance, Julia’s House and the NSPCC.

Her medal-winning colleagues included Bovington-born Andrew James, 60, who completed 42 years in pay and accounts, and still lives near the camp.

David Ashford, 54, of Weymouth, retired after 32 years as the assistant finance manager. At the same event Sgt Simon Maule, 33, a chief clerk living in Bovington was awarded the army’s 15-year long service and good conduct medal.