大象传媒

Margaret Stephen
A Glimpse Of Life As A WREN

In the early 1940's the Government ordered that conscription would apply to all single women between the ages of 20 and 30 who were not considered to be making a contribution to the war effort.
I fell into this category, and after an interview and a medical examination I was accepted for the Women's Royal Navel Service and called up in February 1943.

After general training in the ways of the Navy and being kitted out, I was told that I would be assigned to the Fleet Air Arm as an Aircraft Supply Assistant.
A course to learn the duties followed, ranging from store work, paper work, checking and recording aircraft movements and ensuring that valuable equipment went back into store when planes landed.
I performed each of these jobs during my time in the Service.

My first posting was to HMS Raven near Southampton - all Naval Air Stations were named after birds, I served on Ringtail, Owl, Urley and Hornbill.
Here the Wrens lived in requisitioned properties but in my other locations we lived in Nissen huts on the air stations.

After another stint in Lancashire I was promoted to Leading Wren and sent to the North of Scotland.
In charge of a small store attached to a Training Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm, the trainees were eventually posted to Aircraft Carriers.
It was a tedious journey on several trains, eventually arriving on the Moray Firth.
A lorry was waiting to convey the Navel personnel through thick snow, (it was February) to our destination.

There was one other Wren, on arrival we were shown into a brand new Nissan hut and told that if we wanted a fire we would have to chop wood for the stove.
We went out to where the logs were piled, close to a double-handed saw, a daunting aspect for two city girls especially when we were watched by cheering navel ratings.
Gradually more Wrens arrived, and we all got used to trudging through the snow to the galley, the common room and the ablution block, to wash, and for the brave, taking a bath in four inches of water, (rust red from the peat in the soil).

My place of work was a hut fitted up as a store for smaller items required for the maintenance of aircraft, I was assisted by two Wrens and three ratings, the latter to help with heavier items taken from the main stores.
A Lieutenant Pilot Instructor and a Petty Officer who were part of the Squadron supervised us.
Snow permitting, Wrens were taken by lorry to their work places, otherwise we marched, to the amusement of the men.

In our time off we were transported to the local station where we caught the train to the local towns.
The locals, especially the shopkeepers, were welcoming, but we couldn't go far for fear of missing the last transport back to camp.
We were invited to dances, including those given by Canadian Lumberjacks, brought over to chop down trees.
They introduced me to Scottish Country Dancing !

The snow melted, summer came and we enjoyed the almost midnight sun, only visible in the North Of Scotland.
Then came the news that the Squadron was on the move. We travelled by road, rail and sea to another new airfield, this time on the Isle Of Man, my only service overseas!
After the war that airfield became Ronaldsway Airport.

My last posting was in Berkshire as a Petty Officer where most of the work was centred on the Aircraft Control Tower.
I remained there through VE and VJ days, the latter being particularly significant to the Navy and the Fleet Air Arm, until I was demobbed in 1946

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