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It
was with mixed emotions that six of us met recently for our last lunch of our
branch. We hope to continue to
meet periodically for as long as possible but are too few to function
officially. Our seventh member is
in a Residential home, unable to get about at all, although her memory is
still excellent. One member lives
in Alderney so can rarely join us.
Guernsey
branch was formed 50 years ago and Lucille, Peggy and Lorna are founder
members. I have been a member about 33 or 34 years, Janet for 24, Helen 10 and
Cynthia 8. Our lunch was at a
local hotel and we had an excellent meal.
Janet, our Secretary had brought along a gold helium balloon which
floated above the table and Lorna, the Chairman, produced photos and an
invitation to our Silver Anniversary Dinner and Dance – interesting to see
that we then numbered over 30 and the Dinner and Dance ticket cost £5!
The gold balloon puzzled our fellow diners as there were no men present
and we were all obviously past our 50th birthdays! Also there was
lots of laughter as we reminisced about life in uniform 60 odd years ago.
One lady couldn’t contain her curiosity and came over to find out
what the occasion was.
Most
of us were volunteers but Lorna was in the Regulars and automatically became
WRAC later. I will give more
details along with this letter as we would all love to hear from anyone who
served with us. Cynthia was the
only one to serve overseas.
I
have written this report as our Secretary is very sadly losing her sight and I
volunteered to do it, not having learned my lesson!
My father, when I volunteered, said “never volunteer”, but he did
himself – before 1914! May we
all wish all our fellow members the very best wishes, and if anyone out there
remembers any of us, please do write.
W/131892
Mrs Kay Tucker, née Richardson. Failte,
Rue de la Corderie, Vale, Guernsey GY3 5BR
Short
service details of the Guernsey ladies are:
W/34076 Lucille Hamilton, née Sarre. Enlisted at
Southampton and competed initial training at Aldermaston. Served throughout
with her twin sister, Jacqueline who now lives in Suffolk. She was a clerk
with the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry in Bodmin, Penhale and St Agnes.
After a course at Trowbridge, she was employed with Royal Signals and went to
Quorn in Leicestershire (billeted in Beaumanor), which was a War Office
Establishment with connections to Bletchley Park.
Peggy Giles, née Pearce. Enlisted,
I believe, in Kingston, Surrey. After initial training in Lancaster, was a
clerk in the War Office for the rest of her service. Cannot remember her
number!
W/307372 Norma Newman, née Dredge. Enlisted at
Richmond, Yorkshire and trained initially at Pontefract. Became a cook/Sgt and
served with the RASC at Northampton, Colchester and Bordon in Hampshire.
W/131892 Kay (Catherine) Tucker, née Richardson.
Met and married during the War so served in both names. Enlisted at Cardiff
and trained at Wrexham at Royal Welch Fusiliers Depot, AA Training on G.L. at
232 Camp, Devizes then on the South coast – Southampton, Fareham, Gosport
and then Beckenham in Kent – all with 508(M) HAA Bty. Then served at various
sites during the doodlebug era, Danson Park, Bromley, Bickley, Petts Wood and
Upchurch near Sittingbourne with different batteries.
W/70921 Janet Laine, née Maitland. Enlisted at
Aberdeen, trained at Inverness and served as a clerk with Royal Scots
Fusiliers. Then at Berwick, Inverness and Edinburgh. She too married during
the War and served in both names.
W/47207 Cynthia Giles, née Rowley. Enlisted at
Plymouth, trained at Aldermaston then served with RA – LAA – both in the
UK in Cornwall and Exeter and overseas in Cairo as a clerk. She was married in
Cairo Cathedral and served in both names.
Helen Scott, née Brown. Enlisted at Glasgow and
trained at Pontefract. Was a clerk in the QM’s stores with REME at Catterick
then at Northolt on the outskirts of London. Cannot remember her number!
W/ 54742 Pat Hart MBE, née Barclay. Lives in Alderney
– a 10 minute flight form Guernsey but costing around £80 return! Enlisted
in Bristol and trained at Gloucester before serving as a clerk with the RE in
the Deputy Commander’s Office at Gloucester and also at Taunton and Oxford.
After demob enlisted into the TA.
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