Pat as a Wren

This week the Junior School had a visit from, Pat Davies the godmother of the mum of Tara Millard a Year 5 pupil. Pat came in to speak to Year 6 about her experiences as a Wren in WWII.

Pat was called up to join the Wrens at the age of 19. As she spoke German, she was then chosen for highly secretive work and was sent to a training establishment belonging to the Navy in Wimbledon. Here Pat signed the Official Secrets Act and was told she was not allowed to tell anyone, even her family, about the work she was to do. She then undertook two weeks training, which involved listening to messages from German naval ships – these were in German and usually in code. This demanded huge concentration, as the radio signal was faint; it often had interference and would sometimes cut out.

Certificate of thanks for vital services during WWII from Prime Minister Gordon Brown 2009

Pat’s first posting was to a small ‘Coastal Naval Intelligence Station’ in Withernsea near the mouth of the Humber in Yorkshire. Pat and her colleagues picked up radio signals from German Ships in the North Sea. German Motor Torpedo boats ‘S-Boot’ Schnellboot ("fast boat") were attacking British convoys and therefore it was crucial the allies knew the position of their boats. Even more important were the coded signals intercepted from German ships, which were then relayed by teleprinter to Bletchley Park, where they were decoded. This was to prove decisive in the war effort and shortened the war by at least two years, saving thousands of lives.

Mr Harold, Curriculum Leader for Humanities commented, ‘The children were enthralled by Pat’s stories of Bletchley Park, Enigma machines and even a chance encounter with Churchill and Montgomery!’

Pat concluded by sharing a few thoughts on World War II, ‘We were so lucky to be just the right age, you worked with people who you really liked and you were doing something that was part of history. We were actually very lucky’.
 

Receiving her medal from Foreign Secretary David Milliband 2009