Description
Object description
British wren served with Women's Royal Naval Service at HMS Marshal Soult, Portsmouth, HMS Pembroke III and Norfolk House in London and HMS Dryad, Southwick House in GB, 1942-1944; served with Women's Royal Naval Service attached to Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in France, 9/1944-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1923-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as civilian in GB, 1939-1941: attitude to not being able to actively participate in war; stepfather's recall into British Army; sight of aerial activity during Battle of Britain, 7/1940-10/1940; reaction of cinema audiences to films on German Air Force attacks on London; employment; desire to join Women's Royal Naval Service; public attitude towards Royal Navy. Recollections of enlistment and training with Women's Royal Naval Service at Portsmouth, GB, 1942: selection interview; attitude towards medical; posting to Portsmouth for training, 1/1942; attitude towards training overalls; attitude of recruits towards leaving home; training; behaviour of wrens in charge of recruits.
REEL 2 Continues: contracting pleurisy; physical training; interview for posting; issue of uniform; gas training. Recollections of period as wren with trawker minesweeper depot ship HMS Marshal Soult, Portsmouth, GB, 1942: warships in dockyard; duties as messenger; relations with Royal Navy personnel and her commanding officer; air raids; attitude of Royal Navy personnel towards dockyard workers; behaviour of Royal Navy seamen towards Women's Royal Naval Service personnel; social life; question of women's safety. Aspects of period as wren with HMS Pembroke III, Swiss Cottage, London, GB, 1942-1943: attitude towards leaving Portsmouth; duties; psychological problems of submariners posted to HMS Pembroke III; attitude towards duties.
REEL 3 Continues: drafting away from HMS Pembroke III. Recollections of period as messenger at Norfolk House, London, GB, 5/1943-3/1944: posting to Norfolk House, 5/1943; messenger duties; duties handling and registering Most Secret Files; importance of Women's Royal Naval Service personnel's work at Norfolk House; security regarding secret files; length of working day; attempts of Admiral Bertram Ramsay to regulate Women's Royal Naval Service personnel's working hours; medical problems due to overwork; social life. Recollections of period as wren at HMS Dryad, Southwick Park, GB, 1944: posting to HMS Dryad, 3/1944.
REEL 4 Continues: air raids; planning for Normandy Landings; increase in activity 6/1944; exhaustion of staff after D-Day; visit to Mulberry Harbour at Selsey; security at headquarters. Recollections of period as wren with Women's Royal Naval Service attached to Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in France, 9/1944-5/1945: journey to headquarters at Jullouville near Granville, Normandy, 9/1944; living conditions; move to St Germain-en-Laye, 20/9/1944; living conditions; death of Admiral Bertram Ramsay in air crash and subsequent funeral, 1/1945; attitude towards arrival of new American admiral.
REEL 5 Continues: attitude of French civilians towards Women's Royal Naval Service personnel; social life; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; attitude towards treatment of French collaborators; United States Army rations; socialising with American servicemen; attitude of Royal Navy and American personnel towards Women's Royal Naval Service. Recollections of period as wren with Women's Royal Naval Service in Germany, 1945: journey from France to Germany via Netherlands; location of headquarters at Minden; attitude towards German civilians; contrast between male and female attitudes towards work; attitude towards commissioning; move to Berlin; living conditions at Grunewald, Berlin; social life.
REEL 6 Continues: presence of natural father in Berlin and his arrest for alleged fraternisation; demobilisation, 1946; prior recollections of work of American personnel at Norfolk House and work of despatch department of registry.