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92 year old Wren reminisces at RNAS Yeovilton
5 February 2018
Royal Navy Historic Flight at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton hosts 92 year old Wren for a trip down memory lane.
Brenda Marsland joined the Royal Navy 74 years ago in December 1943 as Wren in the WRNs (Women of the Royal Naval Services) Air Mechanic training at HMS Fledgling and then based at HMS Tern on the Orkneys near Scapa Flow from April 1944 to September 1945.
At HMS Tern Brenda worked on the maintenance of Miles Martinets aircraft, which were target tugs used for gunnery training.
Her duties included repairing bullet holes in the fabric covering of the aircraft!
It was such a wonderful time in my life, the girls and making a difference, you felt like you were helping the effort.
Brenda was promoted to Leading Wren in December 1944 and when the war was over she was sent to HMS Kestrel near Winchester before being demobbed in February 1946.
The Commanding Officer of RNAS Yeovilton presented Brenda with her WWII medal in the Stations Wardroom and when asked what it was like for her all those years ago Brenda said: “It was such a wonderful time in my life, the girls and making a difference, you felt like you were helping the effort.”
Brenda was accompanied by her daughter Dilys and now lives in Sherborne having moved from Kent last year where she was involved with a local group of the Association of Wrens in Tunbridge Wells.