Home | Veterans | Wendy Hooton
Wendy-Hooton

A veteran interview with

Wendy Hooton

Wendy Hooton was a communications centre operator for the WRAC.

Play video
Watch the interview
© 2026 Legasee. All rights reserved. See Terms & Conditions.
Discover 24 key interview topics and talking points
02:00
Guildford
04:00
WRAC uniform
06:00
Passing Out Parade
08:00
Trade training
10:00
Murray Code
12:00
10th Signal Regiment
16:00
Rheindahlen
18:00
Pops and Eddies
20:00
Guildford Pub Bombing
24:00
Hong Kong
28:00
Stonecutters Island
34:00
Aldershot
36:00
IRA (Irish Republican Army)
40:00
Duchess of Kent
42:00
Australia
46:00
Cyprus
48:00
Greek Civil War
52:00
Falklands
56:00
Germany
64:00
Scotland
68:00
Leaving the Army
74:00
Being a veteran
76:00
SIB
80:00
Homosexuality

About Wendy Hooton

At only seventeen years old Wendy Joined the WRAC in 1972. Driven by her desire to travel, she joined the army as a communications operator and her interview provides a fascinating insight into the processes, and complications, of being a young woman in a military environment.

Wendy recalls the strict routines at Guildford and the excitement of her passing out parade following the first six weeks of training. In her specialised training, Wendy discusses the complexity of the communications machinery and the development of technologies throughout her time as an operator. Beginning with T-100s, Wendy describes the transition into T-15 Telex machines in the late 1970s.

Reflecting on the WRAC Wendy speaks fondly of her travels to Rheindahlen, Hong Kong, Australia, Cyprus and later Edinburgh. During this time she faced constant IRA threats, Cold War tensions and feelings of discontent that erupted with the onset of the Falklands. She speaks passionately on the importance of the WRAC as an emerging space for women to push beyond their societal expectations during a period of great change.

 

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Evie Painter
Transcribed by:
Leon Graham

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 Leon Graham, please complete this form or email info@legasee.org.uk.

Copyright:
All video content, web site design, graphics, images (including submitted content), text, the selection and arrangement thereof, underlying source code, software and all other material on this Web site are the copyright of Legasee Educational Trust, and its affiliates, or their content and technology providers. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any use of materials on this Web site – including reproduction for purposes other than those noted above, modification, distribution, or republication – without the prior written permission of Legasee Educational Trust is strictly prohibited.

Home | Veterans | Wendy Hooton

A veteran interview with

Wendy Hooton

Wendy-Hooton

Wendy Hooton was a communications centre operator for the WRAC.

Related topics & talking points

10th Signal Regiment Aldershot Australia Being a veteran Colvin House Communications Centre Operator Cyprus Duchess of Kent Falklands Germany Greek Civil War Guildford Guildford Pub Bombing Homosexuality Hong Kong IRA (Irish Republican Army) Leaving the Army Murray Code Passing Out Parade Pops and Eddies Rheindahlen Scotland SIB Stonecutters Island T-100s T15s Trade training Treatment of women WRAC uniform

Veteran gallery

Photos & memories

Keep on watching

More veteran stories...

The UK's Largest Veteran Video Archive

Our featured projects

Band of Sisters

27 Interviews
Teaching Resource Available
Browse Project

Berlin Airlift (1948–49)

49 Interviews
Teaching Resource Available
Browse Project

D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (1944)

180 Interviews
Teaching Resource Available
Browse Project

Most Popular Talking Points

Recommended Veteran Interviews

Army , Women of the Army (1949-92)
Army , Women of the Army (1949-92)

Patricia ‘Budgie’ Rosewell

Budgie provided us with some lovely photos of her at work and play!
Go to Veteran Profile >

By Service

Recommended Projects

Women of the Army (1949-92)

In 2024, with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we proudly added 30 female voices to the Legasee Archive...
Browse Project

Share this interview on:

WhatsApp
LinkedIn
https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/wendy-hooton/

Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Hooton, Wendy. A Veteran Interview with Wendy Hooton. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 17 Apr. 2024 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/wendy-hooton/. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
APA Style:
Hooton, W. (2024, April 17). A Veteran Interview with Wendy Hooton [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved April 21, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/wendy-hooton/
Chicago Style:
Hooton, Wendy. 2024. A Veteran Interview with Wendy Hooton. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, April 17. Accessed April 21, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/wendy-hooton/
Harvard Style:
Hooton, W. (2024). A Veteran Interview with Wendy Hooton. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 17 April. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/wendy-hooton/ (Accessed: 21 April 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Hooton, W. A Veteran Interview with Wendy Hooton [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2024 Apr 17 [cited 2026 Apr 21]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/wendy-hooton/
An interview with

Cheryl Woon

Cheryl Woon worked as a Stewardess in the WRAC.

Play video triangle icon black Watch the Video
Cheryl was twenty-four when she joined the WRAC and saw the army as a career opportunity. At Guildford she dedicated herself to training and felt a sense of achievement wearing her solider's uniform. Cheryl completed her trade training at Aldershot, and specialised in silver service techniques. She was then posted to the Royal Armament and Development Establishment where she worked in both the sergeant's mess and on guard duty. At the RARDE soldiers would test new vehicles and weapons under extremely classified conditions, therefore those working there, such as Cheryl, had to stand on high alert at all times. Cheryl remembers having basic weapon training during this period, yet she still was not given ammunition whilst on guard. In her interview she describes the horrific treatment of women in the army, one of the reasons for her leaving in 1989. Cheryl felt unsupported on her leave and disappointed by the army's attitude towards the female corps. She feels that although the WRAC is a huge part of her history, there were real issues of gender discrimination which should be documented in oral histories such as those held in Legasee's archive.
Service:
Army
Project:
Women of the Army (1949-92)
Top Tags:
Stewardess, Guildford, Weapons training
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Roxanne Lawton

Army
Women of the Army (1949-92)
Play video icon Watch the video
An interview with

Judy Hasnip

Army
Women of the Army (1949-92)
Play video icon Watch the video
An interview with

Wendy Lewis

Army
Women of the Army (1949-92)
Play video icon Watch the video
An interview with

Patricia ‘Budgie’ Rosewell

Army
Women of the Army (1949-92)
Play video icon Watch the video
An interview with

John Clarke

John recalls experiences as an infantryman in the Black Watch and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

Play video triangle icon black Watch the Video
Born in Manchester and raised in foster care, John Clarke became an apprentice at sixteen before joining The Black Watch, following in his grandfather’s footsteps. After training in Scotland as part of the 6th Battalion, he was deployed to Tunisia, where he fought at Sidi Medienne and helped rescue wounded prisoners from an enemy ship—a highlight of his service. He later trained in Cairo, before being stationed high up the Aurunci Mountains in Italy with the British division in the American 5th Army. John joined the 12th Brigade in Cassino and remembers the chaos around Monte Cassino monastery, the heavy casualties, and the many acts of bravery. Post-war, he joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, managing the armoury in Gaza. John reflects on his military career, recalling memorable moments including meeting Winston Churchill. For John, the friends he made during the war became the family he never had growing up.
Service:
Army
Top Tags:
Cassino, Hermann Göring Regiment, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

John Aitken

An army serviceman’s memories of the Berlin Airlift amidst the rising tensions of the Cold War.

Play video triangle icon black Watch the Video
John Aitken’s military service began after WWII with the Gordon Highlanders in Aberdeen before he moved on to Sandhurst where, in addition to his officer training, he learnt French, Russian, meteorology, maths and physics. In 1949 John was sent to Wunstorf in Germany to work within air dispatch operations for the Berlin Airlift. In his interview, John shares memories of barrack life adjacent to the runway, recalling how the rooms used to shake every minute as another fully laden converted bomber took off, and gives an interesting insight into how supplies were coordinated and transported. He also talks about some of the loads he used to fly into Berlin, and the friendly competition between the Americans and the British to see who could load their Dakotas more quickly; but unfortunately, as the competition got more intense, so did the risks. John paints a vivid picture of the city of Berlin both during the Airlift and several years later when he returned after a stint serving in the Middle East, with clear memories of his horror at the devastation left by WWII and later the striking divide between east and west.
Service:
Army
Project:
Berlin Airlift (1948–49)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

John Collier

RAF
Berlin Airlift (1948–49)
Play video icon Watch the video
An interview with

Ronald Pickersgill

RAF
Berlin Airlift (1948–49)
Play video icon Watch the video
An interview with

Gerald White

RAF
Berlin Airlift (1948–49)
Play video icon Watch the video
An interview with

Terence Crowley

RAF
Berlin Airlift (1948–49)
Play video icon Watch the video