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History 1917-1919, The First World War The first public information was issued in late November 1917 through a press release which announced 'Women for the Navy - New Shore Service to be formed, WOMEN'S ROYAL NAVAL SERVICE, Dame Katharine Furse GBE to be appointed as Director.' Local labour exchanges provide selection boards supplemented by WRNS Recruiting Officers. It was realized from the very first the importance of establishing the Service's reputation and very high standards were set which many potential recruits could not meet.
Wrens stationed in London covered a disparate number of duties. Wrens were established in the Portsmouth area on 22 January 1918 where women were already being employed by naval authorities. Meanwhile, to the east Chatham was getting organized. In addition to Chatham itself, the Division included Dover, Deal, Sheerness, Broadstairs, Hastings and Folkestone. Down in the south-west substitution of women for men began in the Commander-in-Chief's office in September 1917. They were to be absorbed into the WRNS and a number of WRNS officers eventually replaced naval officers, including watch-keeping in the Confidential Book Room. In January 1918 the Director sent the WRNS Divisional Director off to Scotland with the words: 'You are pioneers. Go to your work. Uphold the dignity and honour of the Service.' In the Bristol Channel Division demands for women to release men for combatant duties were to increase steadily. The Humber was a centre of the anti-submarine offensive and the convoy system. Further south on the east coast the Naval Base at Gorleston, Great Yarmouth in the Harwich Division was one of the earliest to get started. The last of the original Divisions was started in Liverpool in March 1918 where the appearance of the first two WRNS officers in uniform caused great excitement. An initial reluctance from the civilian women, already working for the naval authorities, to being absorbed into the WRNS was overcome as new Wrens were enrolled.
There was a Procession of Homage of the women's war organizations to Buckingham Palace on 29 June 1918. A WRNS contingent took part in this procession to celebrate the Silver Wedding of King George V and Queen Mary. Afterwards the Second Sea Lord wrote to the Director: 'I must express to you my very sincere congratulations on the good appearance,
deportment and smartness of the WRNS. In October 1918 the mail steamer Leinster was torpedoed between England and Ireland. There were three Wrens on board, one of whom was lost at sea. Wren Josephine Carr was the first Wren to lose her life on Active Service. On 11 November 1918 The King sent a message of thanks to the Royal Navy, the Mercantile Marine and the Fleet Auxiliaries in which he said, 'I wish to express my praise and thankfulness to THE OFFICERS, MEN, AND WOMEN OF THE ROYAL NAVY & MARINES.' A service to commemorate the inauguration of the WRNS was held at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on 24 November 1918.
On 18 September 1919 the Director WRNS received a letter from Their Lordships expressing appreciation for the Wrens' contribution to the war effort. 'On the occasion of the general demobilisation of the Women's Royal Naval Service, I am to request that you will communicate to all concerned Their Lordships' high appreciation of the efficient manner in which the Service has been organised and conducted, of the zeal and exemplary conduct which its members have shown in the performance of their duties and of the assistance which they have afforded to the Naval Service generally. |
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In the early days
it was thought that the ratings would be drawn from areas where they could live at home,
and therefore, be termed immobile. However, applications were received from women who
lived far from the port areas and suitable buildings had to be found to accommodate them.
Mobile and immobile officers were recruited from the outset, and from these Divisional
Directors were appointed in London, Portsmouth, Chatham, Devonport, Edinburgh and Cardiff.
Deputies were established at Immingham and Harwich, and an acting Deputy Divisional
Director went to Liverpool. The WRNS Headquarters was in London.
Three further
Divisions were to be established on the Tyne, in Ireland and the Mediterranean. The
Tynemouth Division ran for exactly one year and chiefly employed clerks, telephonists,
motor drivers and min-net workers, in small units at a number of different offices
scattered over a wide area including Newcastle, Tynemouth and Middlesborough. In Ireland
the Divisional Director established her headquarters at Kingstown, near Dublin, but the
bases stretched from Buncrana, Belfast and Larne in the north, through Kingstown and
Dublin in the midlands to Queenstown in the south. The final division was in the
Mediterranean where WRNS officers and ratings were employed in Malta, Gibraltar and Genoa,
mostly on cypher duties.
