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Woman’s Royal Naval Service. Official No. 26213. I joined the Wrens and was accepted for a period of probation which was part of the war time system on 29/7/1942 and reported to the Wrens Training Deform HMS victory at Portsmouth, living in the Royal Youth Orphanage in St Michaels Road until I was drafted on 11/8/42 to HMS Shrapnel, Southampton for D.S.T.O staff. H.W. Best R.N was the Principle Sea Transport officer; duties were that of general whites, mainly signals, until I was upgraded to Leading Wren on 1/5/44. I transferred into the operations room to release two Lieutenants for the fleet and I was given responsibility of fuelling officer, arranging fuel and water for Hospital ships etc as they went to and fro. When the bombing of Southampton became regularly heavy we were moved to quarters in Archers Road returning to our offices in the South Western Hotel for duties, social life was hectic to say the least!1 Finally, as the war ended, I was returned to R.N. barracks at Portsmouth on 1/1/46 until 1/7/46 and released class A — suitable for re-engagement!

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