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History - Between The Wars Between the Wars the Association of Wrens was formed and provided a forum for ex-Wrens to keep in touch. In addition to starting a magazine, The Wren (first published in February 1920), the Association was also concerned with the formation of Service Women's Clubs in London and Edinburgh, and a holiday home in Sussex.By the mid-Thirties fears of war once again turned thoughts to the part women might play in the Armed Forces if those fears were realized. In October 1935 a special Sub-Committee of Imperial Defense considered the question of the creation of a Women's Reserve. In May 1936 the Committee reported: "Women's Reserve deemed not desirable'. In September 1937 Dame Katharine Furse wrote to the Board of Admiralty offering the services of the association of Wrens in the event of an emergency. By 1938 the Admiralty was well ahead with plans for the re-formation of the Service. On 25 July 1938 an Admiralty Board Minute set out the principles for the employment of women in an emergency; shortly to be followed by the decision to form a Women's Royal Naval Service. An Admiralty letter was sent to Commanders in Chief on 19 August 1938 asking them to report the number of women who would be required to relieve Active Service personnel, the type of work they could do, and how many needed to be uniformed personnel. A Paper was submitted to the Admiralty Board containing proposals for the re-formation of the WRNS on 22 November 1938, and the first public announcement of these plans appeared in a Ministry of Labour Handbook in December. |
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