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Marsie-Taylor

A veteran interview with

Marsie Taylor

Marsie Taylor worked as a Wren Writer initially at Norfolk House in central London and then at Southwark in Portsmouth. She was also awarded a British Empire medal for her work during the Blitz. She was a great supporter of Legasee’s work and put herself infront of a BBC camera to talk about her secretive wartime activities.

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About Marsie Taylor

Marsie Taylor had a varied and fascinating war. She moved to London with her parents in 1939 and immediately joined the Mechanised Transport Corps because she wanted to contribute to the war effort. She recalls the effect the sights and sounds had on her, driving a Light Rescue Team through bombed-out streets in Lambeth. She vividly recalls receiving the BEM from the King for recovery work on the night of 15 October 1940.

She joined the WRNS in 1942 when the bombing reduced, spending over a year in Norfolk House where she typed operation orders during planning for the invasions of Sicily and Normandy. She comments on the enormity of the secrecy, because she held BIGOT clearance, so knew the time and place of the landings. Once the planning finished, she moved to the naval HQ at Southwick House in Portsmouth in readiness for D-Day. She recalls hitchhiking in uniform back to London and working on artificial harbours. She was later commissioned and spent the last months of the war as an assistant to the captain in charge of an air station near Aberdeen.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Andy Voase

Copyright:
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Home | Veterans | Marsie Taylor

A veteran interview with

Marsie Taylor

Marsie-Taylor

Marsie Taylor worked as a Wren Writer initially at Norfolk House in central London and then at Southwark in Portsmouth. She was also awarded a British Empire medal for her work during the Blitz. She was a great supporter of Legasee’s work and put herself infront of a BBC camera to talk about her secretive wartime activities.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Taylor, Marsie. A Veteran Interview with Marsie Taylor. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, n.d. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/marsie-taylor/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
APA Style:
Taylor, M. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Marsie Taylor [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved April 27, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/marsie-taylor/
Chicago Style:
Taylor, Marsie. n.d.. A Veteran Interview with Marsie Taylor. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee. Accessed April 27, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/marsie-taylor/
Harvard Style:
Taylor, M. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Marsie Taylor. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/marsie-taylor/ (Accessed: 27 April 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Taylor, M. A Veteran Interview with Marsie Taylor [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; n.d. [cited 2025 Apr 27]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/marsie-taylor/
An interview with

Christian Lamb

Christian Lamb was a Third Officer in the WRNS, employed in plotting the position of ships and planes involved in the Western Approaches and Atlantic.

Christian Lamb returned from a year in France just before war broke out and quickly joined the Wrens (Women's Royal Naval Service). She was initially employed as a Coder but switched to plotting, which involved plotting the locations of all the ships and planes on a huge board. She served in this role initially in London, then Plymouth and Belfast before returning to southern England in the run-up to D-Day. She relates many light-hearted anecdotes: enjoying lunchtime concerts in the National Gallery when she was working at the Wren Headquarters in Trafalgar Square; experiencing several close encounters with bombings during the blitz; shopping in the Republic of Ireland where there were less restrictions. Throughout the war, she and her colleagues maintained a strong sense of patriotism and determination, inspired by Churchill's speeches. Despite the dangers, they never considered the possibility of losing the war.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Paul Dilks

Paul Dilks recounts his experiences serving on the merchant ship Uganda during the Falklands War, detailing his journey as a merchant seaman in a wartime environment. He also records Uganda’s transformation from an educational cruise vessel to a hospital ship.

Paul Dilks began his maritime career in 1970 with P&O as a navigating cadet and attended Nautical College at Warsash, later qualifying as a Deck Officer in 1974. In 1982, Paul was serving on Uganda, which was conducting educational cruises for school children when it was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence to serve as a hospital ship during the Falklands War. Uganda underwent significant modifications in Gibraltar to become a hospital ship, including the creation of hospital wards, an intensive care unit, and a helicopter platform. The crew faced numerous challenges, including water rationing, misunderstandings with Royal Navy colleagues, and the need to perform fresh water replenishments at sea under extreme conditions. Uganda operated alongside other vessels such as survey ships and ambulance ships, and there were amicable interactions with the Argentine hospital ship Bahia Paraiso. The crew learned of the Argentine surrender on June 14, 1982, and subsequently prepared for the journey home, including repainting the ship and discharging patients. Notable incidents included a visit from Prince Andrew, a tragic accident involving the Welsh Guards, and the emotional homecoming reception in Southampton. After the war, Uganda transported the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Gurkhas back to England, and Paul describes his revisiting the Falklands the following year. Paul ends with reflections on the lasting impact of the Falklands campaign on his life and possible challenges faced by the British government in requisitioning merchant ships in any future conflicts.
Photo Gallery icon 36 Photos
An interview with

Chris Clarke

From country boy to Master of the MS Europic Ferry, Chris Clarke supported the naval task force during the Falklands War.

Chris Clarke shares an inspiring account of his time at sea, contributing to the Royal Navy during the Falklands War. Though born in the depths of the countryside, Chris dreamed of going to sea and commanding his own ship from the age of four. After training at HMS Conway in Wales, he joined the P&O company where he worked aboard cargo and passenger ships in the far east. However, after his marriage, he wished to stay closer to home so he moved to ferries. Eventually, his dream of commanding a ship would come to fruition when he became Master of the MS Europic Ferry. When war in the Falklands erupted, the Europic was requisitioned as part of the War effort. Chris describes the conversion of his ship from a passenger vessel to a military vessel after the inclusion of naval and paras troops. Certain configurations were required such as, clearing storerooms to accommodate the troops and the installation of naval radio communications. It also supported in storing artillery from machine guns to military aircrafts which was impressive considering it was not the largest ship. His voyage would take him from Ascension Island, all the way to San Carlos in the Falklands where they offloaded the troops and their artillery. Even from the outside, Chris was close to the action and vulnerable to attacks where there was a fifty percent survival rate. He recalls one incident involving a large splash near the ship, indicating a possible bomb. Despite the adversity, he managed to maintain a sense of calm while keeping his crew under control, a feeling he would always cherish. After the War, Chris continued with the P&O company for another fifteen years before leaving to become a teacher at Warsash Academy in Southampton. Chris's interview offers a comprehensive look into the experiences of a sea captain who was not used to seeing military action before the Falklands War and the bravery men like him demonstrated while risking their lives for the troops they supported.
Photo Gallery icon 5 Photos
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker