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RENE GLASS (nee Gargate)
WOMEN’S ROYAL NAVY SERVICE

Rene, an only child, was brought up near Newbiggin. Her family were farmers. After school she did domestic work at Heather Brae Hotel. It was a ‘hydro’ when opened and was busy in summer as it was the shooting season. Some guests came by train, when the hotel car with chauffeur would collect them.

After the announcement about the War I left Heather Brae Hotel and went to work at the Scotch Corner Hotel. After Dunkirk in 1940 a whole battalion were in tents in a fields near Scotch Corner. The army took over the hotel and all the hotel equipment was put into storage. The Manager moved to The Glenburn Hotel, Rothsay on the Isle of Bute and a few of the staff went with him.

I would have been called up at 20, but didn’t wait as I wanted my choice and I volunteered for the WRNS. I went to Newcastle for my medical, etc. then to Dunfermline for my training. It was a beautiful house that had been a domestic science college, with lots of wood that we had to polish constantly, resulting in some ‘falling by the wayside’. The uniform was navy blue ~ skirt, white shirt, drilling costume jacket, black tie, stockings and shoes, plus as overcoat, Mack and hat.

I was sent to Aberdeen where the Admiral was and different offices were names after ships ~ my office was called HMS Bacchante. I was billeted in The Station Hotel and worked in the stores at the docks, issuing clothing and food for the ships. A great number lived in their own homes. There were 24 mobile WRNS, who could be sent anywhere. We were lucky being so few as we ate the same food as the officers at The Station Hotel. We worked from 9 am to about 5 pm and earned 16s. a week initially, then more after a year. I stayed there all the time, except for a couple of months relief in a hospital in the country, and was eventually promoted to ‘Leading WREN’. It was reasonly safe there, one or two bombs dropped, but not a lot.

I would get 10 days leave every four months and was able to get a train direct to Darlington, but would have to wait for the connection to Middleton-in-Teesdale. I would set off back at 3 pm and arrive in Aberdeen at midnight. When we had time off we would go to The Majestic Theatre or to ‘the pictures’ but had to be in by 10 pm. There were dances and concerts in the big hall in Aberdeen. We also enjoyed walking ~ it was two miles to the beach ~ or there were parks. Sometimes we would have a ride to Stonehaven or Peterhead or a trip round Balmoral. I enjoyed the company and still have friends in Aberdeen.

When it was VE day I had gone to bed with my curlers in and the announcement came over the raido, so we all got up and went out down to the docks where fireworks were going off. We went to Church and there was a big parade with marching through the town.

My husband, Norman, was from Middleton-in-Teesdale and I met him when home on leave. He was a Royal Marine on HMS Duke of York, training in Plymouth. We married by special licence in Middleton in October 1944 as he was going abroad. I wore a blue suit, blouse and hat and everyone gave their rations so we could have a reception. The cake had to be made in a hurry and we went to Newcastle for our honeymoon.

At the end of December 1945 the base in Aberdeen closed and we went down to Dumferline. I waited until my ‘number came up’, then went down to Chatham to be de-mobbed in February 1946. One of my friends stayed in for 22 Years, becoming a Petty Officer and earning an MBE. Norman had come out at the end of November 1945.

Rene and Normal originally lived in Middleton, then moved to Broomielaw Station where Normal was a signalman until the railways closed. They moved into Barnard Castle and she brought up her family. She worked at Glaxo for 28 Years and the Oxfam shop for 22 years

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