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Pauline-Milne

A veteran interview with

Pauline Milnes

Pauline Milnes was a Private in the WRAC.

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About Pauline Milnes

An adventurous and extroverted young woman, Pauline joined the WRAC at seventeen years old after outperforming boys at her school in an army assault course. She knew in that moment that she would excel in a military career.

Following her six weeks at Guildford she was posted to Blackdown to train as a supply clerk with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. She wanted to be a Physical Training Instructor but was advised to go into stores whilst placed in holding for an opening in physical trades. She remained in her first role as a store supplier before she was posted to Rheindahlen to supply local army bases.

Being from Guyana Pauline describes the anxiety she felt in certain environments regarding racial prejudice but reflects fondly on her time in Rheindahlen due to her being surrounded by many women of different ethnicities. During her three years in Germany, as well as managing stores, she was also told to watch for Russian number plates or report suspicions of IRA or Cold War tensions.

In this interview, Pauline recalls her upset at her forced leave due to her pregnancy and describes the many good soldiers the army lost due to this very reason. Like many other women, she felt she had more to give and these opportunities were taken away. Although Pauline speaks passionately about her time with the WRAC, her journey also highlights the issues with the treatment of women in the army.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Evie Painter
Transcribed by:
Sian Webb

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 Sian Webb, please complete this form or email info@legasee.org.uk.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Milnes, Pauline. A Veteran Interview with Pauline Milnes. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 30 Jan. 2024 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/pauline-milnes/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.
APA Style:
Milnes, P. (2024, January 30). A Veteran Interview with Pauline Milnes [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/pauline-milnes/
Chicago Style:
Milnes, Pauline. 2024. A Veteran Interview with Pauline Milnes. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, January 30. Accessed October 11, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/pauline-milnes/
Harvard Style:
Milnes, P. (2024). A Veteran Interview with Pauline Milnes. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 30 January. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/pauline-milnes/ (Accessed: 11 October 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Milnes, P. A Veteran Interview with Pauline Milnes [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2024 Jan 30 [cited 2026 Oct 11]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/pauline-milnes/
An interview with

Loraine Patrick

Loraine was a groom and dog handler under the WRAC.

After seeing the WRAC in a magazine, Loraine was inspired to join the army and in 1973 arrived at Guildford. Determined to work with animals, she was quickly posted to Mulgrave where she began her specialised dog training. Loraine describes how following graduation, each woman was given a 'line' to maintain. She recalls the strict disciplinary environment of the kennels and the limited positions for women available. Although members of the WRAC were in training with dogs, they weren't officially allowed to train dogs - only handle them, as this was an overtly male profession. Following her years at the kennels, she left to work in a veterinary hospital on promotion. Devastatingly, she was forced to leave on conditions of marriage but after divorcing years later, was able to rejoin the WRAC with the encouragement of other women around her. She provides some interesting insights into the changing climate when she returned to the army in 1984. After becoming a qualified instructor, in 1988 she was promoted to a professional horse coach and groom at the Saddle Club in Hong Kong. In this interview, Loraine describes the disbandment of the WRAC as a societal indicator that not only were women's roles changing, but they were moving beyond a restrictive system.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
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Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker