Irene Bellamy

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A veteran interview with

Irene Bellamy provides an entertaining and detailed account of her service in the WRENS. Before D-Day had even taken place, she was typing up…

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About Irene Bellamy

When war broke out, 20-year-old Irene Bellamy was evacuated from Bristol to Chipping Sodbury, where she worked for a time as secretary to well-known aeroplane designer Basil Henderson. Although she found the job interesting, she was ambitious and determined to join the WRNS, which she managed to do despite already working in a reserved occupation.

After training in Leeds, Irene was sent to Chatham to work as an admin officer before she successfully applied for a vacancy with ANCXF/SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force) which took her to Eisenhower’s HQ in Bushy Park. There she began working for Admiral Parry, with whom she later transferred to France then Germany.

Irene shares fascinating details about her life and work throughout her service, including the build-up to D-Day and its aftermath, and the end of the war which she saw celebrated around the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. She is rightly proud of her military career and was awarded the British Empire Medal in recognition of her hard work and significant contribution to the war effort.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Caroline Barratt

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

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