Huntingdon & District Branch: WRNS100 Commemorations
During 2017, the Royal Navy are celebrating the centenary of the formation of the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), or more commonly known as Wrens by those who have served. Huntingdon & District Branch of the Royal Naval Association currently have three former Wrens and one serving female member of the Royal Naval Reserves (the WRNS officially disbanded on the 1st November 1993 with female personnel becoming members of the Royal Navy).
To commemorate the WRNS100 Centenary, shipmate Karl Webb, Huntingdon & District Branch President, presented those members with a commemorative bottle of Pinot Grigio, an idea brought about by shipmate Pete Aston, Branch Treasurer, after seeing the commemorative bottles on the internet.
Shipmate Sarah ‘Sallie’ Armstrong joined the WRNS in 1944 as a switchboard operator during the Second World War and served until 1948.
Shipmmate Dawn Holt joined the following year in 1949 as a cinema operator but also spent time based with the Royal Marines, she left the WRNS as a Petty Officer in 1955 when she married our late President, Shipmate Graham Holt.
Shipmate Jenny Mandley was a Wren Writer between 1962 and 1964.
Shipmate Catherine Fearon joined the Royal Naval Reserves in the Maritime Operations Branch and is still serving today.
On Sunday 6th August, Huntingdon Branch members gathered at the home of Sallie Armstrong where the presentations took place, time was spent remembering almost 30 years of combined service.
Huntingdon Branch are proud of all their members, especially Sallie, Dawn, Jenny, and Catherine. BZ shipmates, we are all proud of you and your service to this country.
For more information on the history of the WRNS, please see the leaflet below (click to download):
Details from the Branch presentations also appeared in the August 9th edition of the Hunts Post:
