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Jack Tar and the Jenny WRNR
To return to an old favourite I just came across an old WW2 Royal Navy anecdote about a woman called Jenny who served in the Women’s Royal Navy Reserve during that war. I had meant to publish before...
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A Tenuous Link
As you will not doubt know today is VE Day. It is the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Europe at the end of the Second World War. Despite the lock down there is nothing but flags around our way...
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More Navy Larks
A few weeks back a comment to The Last of the Old Style WRNS Discipline, this time about a woman serving during World War I prompted me to revisit this strange subject. I found a completely new...
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Some More on Military CP for Women
Previously we have discussed CP for women in the Royal Navy during and after the Second World War. Women were not fully incorporated into the Navy until the 1957 Naval Discipline Act, but until then...
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Worse Things Happen…
During my absence I had several emails asking about my historical articles and was there a book. Now there is a good idea. The answer is not at the moment, but I have picked up a few titbits here and...
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Erin Investigates
“Eyes right,” the Senior Wren all but screamed, “And stand straight woman.” Catherine came to attention more or less correctly, this time remembering where to place her thumbs. “You are not in...
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Keeping the Home Fires Burning
Some time ago I came across a little piece of military history regarding the home front and the use of photography for keeping up the morale of men off fighting. Certainly by the time of both the...
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Army Discipline
This unusual snippet was sent in by Karl Gauss so many thanks to him. The women soldiers pictured above got in some seriously hot water after posing semi-naked and posting the pictures on the Internet....
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The Last of WRNS old-style discipline
Following on from yesterday’s story here is another true account of the caning of some wrens, this time from the early 1970s. Shortly after this time women were included within the Royal Navy proper...
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Ticked Off
“Elisabeth Anne Whitfield did not join the WRNS to be consigned to the backside of history,” The haughty brunette made a pout and wrinkled up her nose in disgust. It did not occur to her that speaking...
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Marrying the Gunners Daughter
I unearthed a slightly new take on the spanking and caning of wrens prior to them being incorporated into the Royal navy proper. I also came across a new expression, ‘marrying the gunner’s daughter,’...
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Taking it like a man
Here’s one of those little forum finds you so love. I have no context whatsoever for this and apart from some small edits I publish it as is. I am not sure if this is UK-based or American experience,...
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The Aden Mutiny Affair
A little known and now forgotten event took place during the Second World War, some of the details of which were reported in a magazine published back int the 1980s. I have only a photostat of a long...
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WRNS, spanking and the truth about war time discipline
Here is an intriguing subject that has been covered here many times before. But I recently received an email from a reader who while liking my short story the Special Section, said it was somewhat...
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Marriage 1950s-style, spanking and the whole damn thing
“Gentlemen, should you spank your wife?” ran a headline in 1950s gentleman’s magazine. The response was mixed, but a vox pop conducted the same year and published in another magazine widely concluded...
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Wayward Wren
Audrey stood at the end of the long concrete road with a sense of trepidation. The wire gate looked as flimsy as a Christmas decoration, but the seaman in blue with a 303 at his shoulder said...
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Magic (part 63)
Our story began here. The Spoils of War Everything felt flatter than the lava-blasted plain outside and Katrin could neither sleep nor celebrate. All night she hugged into Fear as he slept like the...
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Magic (part 62)
Our story began here. Arch Magus The sun was well towards the west now and the shadows of Timon’s eastern walls extended far out form the city towards the allied right flank. The late afternoon glow...
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Magic (part 61)
Our story began here. The Battle of Timon Katrin was awoken by the sound of boots on gravel. Then before she had even opened her eyes she heard muted shouts of marshalling sergeants amid the cacophony...
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