- Contributed by听
- Civic Centre, Bedford
- People in story:听
- Margaret Doreen Smith (nee Mitchell)
- Location of story:听
- Windsor, Eton and London - and India and Ceylon
- Background to story:听
- Royal Navy
- Article ID:听
- A2736425
- Contributed on:听
- 12 June 2004
My first posting after passing out as a paywriter was to Windsor, rahter like my home town Bedford. Saw plenty of soldiers, even Princess Elizabeth in her ATS uniform. Through joining the WRNS I would see the sea. VE night was celebrated in Eton and Windsor. I remember congoing down the Hight Street with Eton schoolboys.
VJ night in London as I was then living on Chelsea Embankment. Great night dancing outside Buckingham Palace and seeing the royal family.
I went abroad to India and Ceylon. Lived in the ex Japanese embassy in Bombay. Took part in concert parties - breakfast on all India radio. Worked in the dockyard.
In 1946 there were a lot of political meetings and riots. Saw Gandhi, Nehru and Finch. Things got difficult and wrens were dispersed.
I went to Colombo Sri Lanka, worked and played hard, now a petty officer. The saddest part was entertainning ex prisoners of war. I was one of the last of the wrns to leave Colombo and returned on SS Strathleven to Liverpool, Chatham and HMS Wildfire Sheerness. Later went to HMS Rosneath on GareLoch. Lucky to be there for a big fleet review by King George VI. i was demobbed in 1948 and became a founder member of the Bedford branch of the Association of Wrens.
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