WREN
JANE BEACON
Wren’s Romance
WREN JANE BEACONWren's Romance Romance in World War Two could be a rushed and snatched-at business. “love today for you may be dead tomorrow” was a powerful force which drove the sense of haste so characteristic of the period. Wars always bring some loosening of...
FIVE DIFFERENT THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE WRENS
WREN JANE BEACONFIVE DIFFERENT THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE WRENS In World War Two the jobs undertaken by ‘The Wrens’ extended far beyond traditional ’female’ roles. They repaired ships, they maintained and fitted torpedoes, they drove every type of mechanical...
What are The Wrens
WREN JANE BEACONWHAT ARE THE WRENS All three of the military services had a women’s section in World War Two: The Army had the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service), the Royal Air Force had the WAAFs (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force) and the Royal Navy had the ‘Wrens’, as...
Woman’s Role in WW2
WREN JANE BEACONWOMAN'S ROLE The survival needs of Britain in Worlds War Two meant that every available pair of hands had to be put to useful purpose. From land girls to factory hands to the uniformed services, the vast intake of women made possible what would...
Boat Crew Uniform
WREN JANE BEACONBOAT CREW UNIFORM As well as the standard Wren’s uniform with navy blue skirt and black stockings, boat crew Wrens were pioneers in the shift into uniform trousers, any sort of skirt being quite impractical for working on a boat. Wren Jane Beacon as...
Once the White Cliffs were in sight
WREN JANE BEACONONCE THE WHITE CLIFFS WERE IN SIGHT After the trip up Channel in her launch Amaryllis, Wren Jane looked ahead to Dover and the posting that was to be so central to her contribution to the war. The end of book one records her first arrival there,...
Rescuing the rearguard (from book 1)
WREN JANE BEACONRESCUING THE REARGUARD On the beaches of Dunkirk Wren Jane Beacon saved many soldiers, taking them off to the ships waiting in deeper water offshore. Near the end of the evacuation she was sent to collect a trapped group of rear-guard. In...
The Evolution of Wrens’ Uniforms
WREN JANE BEACONTHE EVOLUTION OF WREN'S UNIFORM In World War Two, those responsible for the integration of the women’s services into the male structures of the armed forces were able to draw on the experience of the First World War, and very rapidly a working system...
The Wrens
WREN JANE BEACONWho were the Wrens? The ‘Wrens’, or members of the WRNS (Women’s Royal Naval Service) worked alongside men in the navy in both world wars. The WRNS was formed in November 1917 and its members served together with the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC)...
The Wrens’ Uniform
WREN JANE BEACONTHE WRENS UNIFORM In the early days of the war there were no uniforms for Wrens. Officers had their uniforms tailor made but ratings, junior members of the navy, were issued with an armband and had to carry on in their own civilian clothes. At...
Wrens of World War 2: WOMEN, BOATS, AND THE CHALLENGES OF WAR
WREN JANE BEACONWOMAN, BOATS AND THE CHALLENGES OF WAR Women’s struggle against the patriarchy has long roots. It has been a slow progression with short bursts of fierce activity. One of the most dynamic and fundamental periods of change was the Second World War....
Wren Jane and I
Wren Jane and I How does a mature male author come to write about an adventurous young woman who is living at a time of exceptional forces? This is a regular question which I sometimes struggle to answer from my own internal resources. The externals are...
I have vivid memories of tales told to me as a youngster by my mother about her life as a Wren during WWII. My mother’s experiences were as a Radio Operator while Wren Jane Beacon is ‘Boat Crew’. Nevertheless, the background and detail are as I recall being told. The world the book recreates is one where the normal social order was overturned, people’s expectations were challenged and individuals found themselves learning new skills, finding new responsibilities and making new friends from places beyond their pre war ken. This accuracy and detail, together with D J Lindsay’s vivid writing and a believable story make this book well worth reading. As has been said – this is a ‘ripping yarn’ and recommended.
AMAZON REVIEW