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A veteran interview with

Mary Soames

Published thanks to a grant from the Gerry Holdsworth Special Forces Charity. From bread-van ambulances to Army colonel: Mary Soames’ remarkable rise through war, command and service.

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About Mary Soames

Mary Soames OBE delivers a vibrant account of her journey from an ambulance driver for the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANYs) to a colonel in the British Army. She recounts with fondness the memories and occasional challenges that emerged throughout her twenty-six-year career which witnessed the entirety of the Second World War.

Initially driving converted bread vans as ambulances at Royal Albert Docks following the outbreak of war, Mary moved to a more senior and administrative role at Streatham Common. As she progressed through her career, Mary undertook more senior roles and responsibilities in a variety of locations and shares the stories she collected along the way, including brief affiliations with the intelligence corps, tales of the Blitz, and interactions with Royal Family members. Mary joined the army in 1942, where she was commissioned as a colonel and remained in this position until her marriage in 1964.

Mary’s story reflects some of the struggles that women faced in positions of military authority. Nonetheless, her pride at being a member of FANY and admiration for the remarkable organisation are illuminated throughout her account. Her career was one of remarkable growth and was made all the more commendable with her roles as life vice-president of WRAC Association and chairman of the Benevolent Fund.

 

The publication of this previously unseen interview was made possible thanks to a grant from The Gerry Holdsworth Special Forces Charity, to mark 80 years since the closure of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in January 1946. 

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
Reviewed by:
Amelia Bolton
Transcribed by:
Amelia Bolton

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

If you would like a version of the transcript that has been transcribed manually by Amelia Bolton, please complete this form or email info@legasee.org.uk.

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Home | Veterans | Mary Soames

A veteran interview with

Mary Soames

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Published thanks to a grant from the Gerry Holdsworth Special Forces Charity. From bread-van ambulances to Army colonel: Mary Soames’ remarkable rise through war, command and service.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Soames, Mary. A Veteran Interview with Mary Soames. Interview by Martyn Cox. Legasee, 22 Mar. 2007 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/mary-soames/. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
APA Style:
Soames, M. (2007, March 22). A Veteran Interview with Mary Soames [Interview by Martyn Cox]. Legasee. Retrieved May 21, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/mary-soames/
Chicago Style:
Soames, Mary. 2007. A Veteran Interview with Mary Soames. Interview by Martyn Cox. Legasee, March 22. Accessed May 21, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/mary-soames/
Harvard Style:
Soames, M. (2007). A Veteran Interview with Mary Soames. [Interviewed by Martyn Cox]. Legasee, 22 March. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/mary-soames/ (Accessed: 21 May 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Soames, M. A Veteran Interview with Mary Soames [Internet]. Interview by M. Cox. Legasee; 2007 Mar 22 [cited 2026 May 21]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/mary-soames/
An interview with

Jane Fountain

Jane Fountain shares her memories of her career with the Royal Military Police as a WRAC Provost.

Jane knew she wanted to join the Royal Military Police, and although she disliked the uniform, enjoyed the many opportunities to learn and improve. After completing her specialised trade training and NBC practices, Jane was first posted to Berlin where she worked on check points and interacted with Russians at the border. Jane recalls the threat of nuclear warfare and the shared realisation amongst soldiers that there would not have been enough reserves for them to all have survived more than a few days. She was then posted to Northern Ireland, firstly to Aldergrove and then Portadown. Jane returned to Berlin years later, where even as a Sergeant she struggled with misogyny in the officer's mess. Jane faced repeated issues with gender discrimination and was taken to trial, but won her case and moved to Ireland with her husband to escape the misogynistic environment in Münster. Jane felt strongly that the WRAC shouldn't have been disbanded. She didn't, and still doesn't, like the idea of women being under a male hierarchy and in her interview maintains that she made the right decision to leave when the WRAC was disbanded.
Photo Gallery icon 17 Photos
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Katherine McMullin

Katherine describes her time as a driver for the WRAC.

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Photo Gallery icon 19 Photos
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker