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Mary-Woollard

A veteran interview with

Mary Woollard

Mary Woollard had a long career in Pay whilst serving with the WRAC and the Pay Corps.

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About Mary Woollard

Originating from a military background, Mary knew she wanted to join the army and officially signed in 1978 when she left school. After excelling in her assessments, she chose to join the Royal Army Pay Corps knowing that they had bases all over the world.

Following her initial training at Guildford, Mary was posted to Brighton where she worked on translating army promotions into symbols in order for occurrences to be coded into computer systems. She was then moved to Krefeld in Germany and placed in a pay team with two other RAPC individuals. She remembers her time in Germany as the moment in which she, like many others, became aware of the IRA threats and realities of life in the army.

Having joined the WRAC towards the end of the 1970s, Mary reflects on the changing nature of women’s roles and remembers the introduction of weapon training. She describes the extensive NBC training in Krefeld, in particular ‘Active Edge’ exercises which were intended to mimic Russian invasion.

Mary describes the relationship between technological development and pay duties, and her developing awareness of the discrepancy in pay. With the disbandment of the WRAC she went for commission and became the only female RAPC. Her interview is an inspiring and authentic account of one of the many trailblazing women who broke the system.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Evie Painter
Transcribed by:
Alexandra Booth

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 Alexandra Booth, please complete this form or email info@legasee.org.uk.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Woollard, Mary. A Veteran Interview with Mary Woollard. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 16 Aug. 2024 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/mary-woollard/. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
APA Style:
Woollard, M. (2024, August 16). A Veteran Interview with Mary Woollard [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved April 21, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/mary-woollard/
Chicago Style:
Woollard, Mary. 2024. A Veteran Interview with Mary Woollard. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, August 16. Accessed April 21, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/mary-woollard/
Harvard Style:
Woollard, M. (2024). A Veteran Interview with Mary Woollard. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 16 August. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/mary-woollard/ (Accessed: 21 April 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Woollard, M. A Veteran Interview with Mary Woollard [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2024 Aug 16 [cited 2026 Apr 21]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/mary-woollard/
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