Despite recurring bouts of Bovine TB contracted from her uncle's cows, Patricia Davies passed a fitness test to join the Women's Royal Navy Service [WRN - AKA the Wrens] in 1942. She was 19 and was sent to Southmead House in Wimbledon to develop her linguistic skills. She benefitted from some schooling with German refugees. She recalls that the Royal Navy repurposed various buildings for optimal radio coverage, including Scarborough racecourse. Patricia's work, detailed from her base at a Lyme Regis golf club, involved intercepting German radio traffic. Though not the most thrilling location, she fondly recalls some enjoyable moments. Her next post was at Abbots Cliff near Dover, a busier station closer to enemy lines. Patricia vividly remembers the buildup to D-Day and the moment she learned of the second front's opening. Two weeks later, she turned 21, reflecting on the period's innocence. The war's end was bittersweet for Patricia. While it was a time of great celebration, her father remained a POW in the Far East, with little information about his condition. Thankfully, he survived, allowing the family to move forward and Patricia to pursue a career in television. Meeting both Patricia and her sister Jean Argles was a privilege.

Antoinette “Tony” Porter joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service as a teenager and quickly found herself in one of the war’s more unusual roles. Selected to take part in Operation Outward, she and her fellow Wrens launched hydrogen balloons fitted with incendiary devices, designed to drift into Germany and cause disruption. The work was heavy, physical, and dangerous. Antoinette recalls the sheer effort of handling the balloons, the types of explosives used, and the burns and injuries some Wrens suffered.

Her interview goes beyond secrecy and danger. Antoinette paints a vivid picture of wartime Britain: the terrifying sight of V1 flying bombs overhead, the exhilaration of watching waves of Allied aircraft depart on D-Day, and the euphoric celebrations of VE Day.

Her memories also reflect on life after the war, as she considers the costs of more recent conflicts. Antoinette’s story brings humour, candour, and humanity to a hidden corner of the Wrens’ wartime service.