No. 389 Summer 2017 The Association of Wrens (Women of The Royal Naval Services) PATRON: Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal PRESIDENT: Cmdt. Anthea Larken CBE VICE PRESIDENTS: Mrs Patricia A Jenkin BEM Miss Eleanor Patrick Mrs Marion Greenway Mrs Janet Crabtree Mrs Anne Trigg Mrs Pat Farrington Mrs Elsie Baring RD Mrs Beryl Watt Mrs Patricia Wall Mrs Julia Clark Mrs Marjorie Imlah OBE JP Miss Rosie Wilson OBE Miss Julia Simpson BSc CEng MBCS Mrs Mary Hawthornthwaite CHAIRMAN: Mrs Carol Gibbon VICE-CHAIRMAN: Miss Jill Stellingworth HON. TREASURER: Mrs Rita Hoddinott EDITORIAL TEAM OF THE WREN: Mrs Georgina Tuckett Miss Jill Stellingworth Mrs Rita Hoddinott PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER: Mrs Celia Saywell MBE ADMINISTRATORS: Mrs Katharine Lovegrove Mrs Lin Burton TRUSTEES: Mrs Janice Abbots Mrs Linda Mitchell Mrs Kathy Carter Mrs Rosemary Smith Mrs Sue Dunster Mrs Vicki Taylor Mrs Nancy Hill Mrs Georgina Tuckett Mrs Dorothy Masters Mrs Fay Watson SUBSCRIPTIONS: Membership renewal for 2017/18 payable 1st April 2017 Annual membership for UK members £12.50 or 10 years for £100 Annual membership for overseas members £15.50 or 10 years for £120 All correspondence for the Association of Wrens should be sent to: Association of Wrens, Room 215, Semaphore Tower (PP 70) HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LT Tel: 02392 725141 email: [email protected] If a reply is required, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope Registered under the Charities Act 2011 — Registration No. 257040 The contents of THE WREN are strictly copyright and all rights are expressly reserved. The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the Editorial Team or the Association, and accordingly no responsibility for these will be accepted. Whilst the Editorial Team has high regard for all advertisers, readers are recommended to seek appropriate financial or legal advice before entering into any binding agreement. IMPORTANT – DATA PROTECTION ACT Please be aware that all items submitted to THE WREN magazine may also be posted on the AOW website (www.wrens.org.uk) and the AOW Facebook page (not the Wrens Facebook Group). Personal information i.e. addresses, e-mail addresses or telephone numbers WILL BE INCLUDED in the magazine, on the AOW website, and on the AOW Facebook page unless members indicate they do not wish their personal details to be included. The Wren 1 Enclosed inside your Summer Magazine AOW WRNS100 BBQ Application Form Saturday 9 September 2017 Xmas Fundraising Dinner Form Friday 8 December 2017 Trustee Ballot Form to be returned by 12 September 2017 President and Chairman at Yeovil Branch Dinner Christmas Catalogue FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM CONTENTS 2 Chairman’s Letter 3 Important Information 6 Trustees Corner 6 Veterans Corner Back row l to r: Georgina Tuckett (Hon Editor), Rita Hoddinott 7 PRO Report (Hon Treasurer) and Katharine Lovegrove (Administrator). Front row l to r: Jill Stellingworth (Vice Chairman) and Lin 7 Standard Bearer’s Report Burton (Administrator) As the WRNS centenary year progresses exciting 8 Branch Reports and interesting entries for the magazine continue to arrive in the office and finding space for them all is not 11 Events always possible but we are sure you will agree that 12 WRNS100 the magazine is packed with colourful reminders of the many special events which have taken place across 27 Book Reviews the country. If there is a downside to the enthusiasm over these events it is sometimes the quality of the 30 Letters accompanying photographs and sadly we have had to reject quite a high number because they are out 34 Where are you now? of focus or people are quite simply not facing the camera. When taking photos of events it increases 37 Anniversaries your chances of having them published if people can be asked to look at the camera! We always do our 38 Obituaries best to include as many articles as we can so please 42 Deaths don’t stop sending in reports of other events and your memories of service days. Many of you post super pictures on Facebook, Front cover: Wrens Walking Wales final day 21 May 2017 in Cardiff Bay particularly of recent WRNS100 events. We cannot l to r: AOW members: Annette Penfold, Larraine Cox, download and use these without your permission and Annie Lagrue and Barbara McGregor not everyone is on Facebook so if the photograph is Photo FRPU West worth publishing in the magazine do email it to HQ Back cover: WRNS100 Event Greenwich 15 July 2017 together with a caption and report. Apologies for the omission of Front Cover Phot credit of the Keep enjoying this special year and the many articles Spring 2017 edition which should have read: RN Copyright 8 Mar in the following pages. WRNS100 Launch Portsmouth. 2 The Wren CHAIRMAN’S LETTER I hope when your copy of The Wren magazine arrives in the WRNS before they became fully integrated into we will still be enjoying some seasonal sunny weather. the Royal Navy. One word I would like to emphasise, This year has been dominated by WRNS100, and that bridges that gap between the old and the new from my perspective it has exceeded all expectations. ,is the word CONNECTIONS and to me this is what I know there are going to be many references to all the WRNS100 is all about. Remembering the past and all events that have happened so far but as we go into the those people connected with former years, but also second half of the year it is certainly going to be one looking to the future to include the Women of the Royal to remember. Many people have worked really hard to Naval Services today. We have been very fortunate make this year happen and representatives from the in being invited to many naval establishments which Association have been fully involved in the planning of have kindly put on events and several of our members all these events. It has been a privilege to work with the have experienced life on board a modern warship. various members of the project team and I have been As we look back to the early planning of this year we fortunate to be able to attend many of these events. I started with a few events on the calendar. This has would like to congratulate WO1 Barbara McGregor RN risen to nearly 100 which is amazing. Even now more and WO1 Annette Penfold MBE RNR and their team events are being planned as so many people want for their achievement in walking 100 miles in 9 days to be involved so the calendar is looking incredibly from Newport, Pembrokeshire to HMS Cambria, the full which is very encouraging especially as these RNR Unit at Sully, Cardiff where we celebrated their events are taking place all over the country enabling arrival with a superb garden party. See page 18 for the more people to take part. We are also very grateful to full report. the Royal Navy for their support. They have provided What has been special about this year is that we have leaflets and other PR material for WRNS100, are very involved many of our more mature members and they keen to emphasise the role of women in the Navy have very much been part of remembering our history. today and are using the Centenary as a recruiting They have been interviewed, photographed and much vehicle. valued as we look back on their earlier service lives. As we come up to November and Remembrance We salute all our senior members and honour their Day, 100 wreaths will be laid on 100 war memorials commitment to the WRNS and how they have been throughout the country and abroad to remember part of the history of this very special service. One former Wrens. The Dauntless Association is funding such event was the Not Forgotten Association Garden WRNS100 tally bands for each wreath and we are Party held recently in the company of HRH Prince very grateful to them for providing these cap tallies. Harry. I was invited to present 10 of our most senior We will be losing at least 3 of our trustees at the end AOW members ranging in age from 89 to 104. Sadly of the year so we are looking to recruit new trustees one of the members wasn’t able to make it at the last who I hope will be able to help the Association plan minute owing to illness. What an amazing group of for the future. I am very pleased to inform you that ladies and they were so thrilled to have been presented we have 11 nominations so there will be an election individually to Prince Harry who addressed them all in ballot and I urge you all to send in your completed turn. Those ladies did us proud and I felt equally proud ballot papers by the closing date. Please look at what to have also been presented to the Prince who was as these potential trustees have to offer as a Trustee, as delightful as ever. we need a wide range of experience and expertise to When I think about that occasion I am reminded that help with the running of the Association. along with all the hard work that being the Chairman So as I end my report I, as always, wish to thank my of the Association entails, it does come with some team in their support for the work that they do in helping wonderful privileges and the garden party comes very me to fulfil my role as Chairman. It is a huge privilege high on that list.