大象传媒

This story has been added to the website by CSV volunteer, Ann Toomey, on behalf of the author, Winifred Scoble, nee Chapman,who fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

When I was 18 years old I was in service in Bodmin working for Miss Foster. I heard that the Recruiting Officer was in the area so I thoght that I would like to join the WRNS. So off I went to the Recruiting Office and was accepted as a Domestic Wren. I was given a pass to go to Yeovil and told that on arriving at Yeovil Station I should ask the Station Master to phone through to the aerodrome. I waited for ages, probably about 2 hours and the Station Master phoned through again. When the driver came along to collect me he said that he had been looking for a Wren in uniform, and I was in civvies!

When we got to the Depot I was taken first to the nissen hut which was to be our dormitory and I was given a bed right in the middle of the room - all the other girls stared at me and I felt very embarrassed. I was then taken to the cookhouse - everyone else had finished eating and the Petty Officer took pity on me and asked the cook to cook me an egg. She cooked it in a huge ladle in the boiler. I had to sit and eat by myself. Then it was off to bed, feeling a bit sorry for myself.

Unfortunately we had no uniforms as they had been bombed in Plymouth. When the Duchess of Kent came down we had to parade for her. A Petty Officer asked me whether I intended to stay in the Wrens and I said "Yes". The Petty Officer said "give her a uniform".

I worked in the Petty Officer's mess for several years and then went to St. Merryn where I was a leading Wren.

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