Real Life WW2 Wrens’ stories
Iwas just 15 years old when the war began. I worked at Boots The Chemist in Eastbourne. Bombs were dropping everywhere and one day a bomb fell on Marks & Spencer, leaving injured people lying in the streets.
“I wanted to do more to help. I joined the Wrens in 1944 while London was being blitzed and was sent to Scotland to enrol. I reported for duty at Tellyhaven Castle, Dumbarton, for two weeks of training.
“As a projectionist, I showed films in military skills, emergency medicine, and submarine operation to troops working in these specialist areas. I kept a trouble-shooting book full of tips and diagrams in case things went wrong... which they did from time to time!
“After a few months, 20 of us travelled to Chatham for further training. We were staying in a haunted old vicarage and were terrified of going to the toilets at night because of the ghosts.
“The training got us up to speed with new projection equipment. Then I was sent to Harwich Quay on Hayling Island, near Portsmouth, to deliver training to Royal Navy personnel and Royal Marines.
“I felt humbled by the amount of knowledge needed by these people, many of whom faced life and death situations every day. They couldn’t afford to get it wrong. My role was small but critical – the information I passed on might have saved lives.
“I particularly remember watching a film of a gruesome medical operation. The medics knew it was going to be stomachchurning so they offered me a gin before the film began! I’m just glad it was in black and white!
“In the evenings we showed more entertaining films to help the military personnel relax. They included comedy, some Mickey Mouse movies, and a news reel.” Doreen Hurt, projectionist