Latest news with #WAAF
The Guardian
25-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Annabel Cole obituary
My mother, Annabel Cole, who has died aged 101, led a remarkably varied life as well as a very long one. It spanned a childhood in France, a spell in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force during the second world war, protesting at Greenham Common, local politics, teaching and painting. She was descended from the Quaker Fry family, her maternal grandfather being the Bloomsbury art critic Roger Fry. Her mother, Pamela Fry, fell in love with a Romanian Jew, Avram Diamand, at art school in Paris, and Annabel was born in their studio there. The family moved to Britain in 1932, as the whisperings of impending fascism became louder. She attended a range of schools, including Maldon grammar school and Chelmsford high school in Essex, and the progressive boarding school Frensham Heights in Surrey, before evacuating with most of her family to Canada early in the second world war. Annabel spent several years working on farms in Canada before returning to England in 1943 to serve with the WAAF until after the end of the war. She had an eventful time in the WAAF that included helping to organise a successful rebellion against the substandard quarters her unit were ordered to move to. She married John Cole, a solicitor, in 1948 and had three children – me, Peter and Rachel – over the next six years. Fiercely intelligent, she became increasingly frustrated by her role as mother and housewife, and once the children were at school she was able to expand her horizons. Attending St Osyth's teacher training college in Clacton during the 1960s gave her the intellectual stimulation she had been missing; afterwards she taught in several primary schools in the Essex area, the last one of which involved helping visually impaired children. Annabel's retirement in the mid-1970s began another chapter in her life, and perhaps the most colourful. She had been an active opponent of nuclear weapons for many years and became secretary of Colchester CND. A frequent visitor to Greenham Common, she was arrested on one occasion (though spared a prison sentence) for cutting through the barbed wire perimeter fence. She remained politically involved well into her 90s and a distinctive (though tiny) figure on the streets of Lewes in East Sussex, where she lived for much of her retirement. She moved into a care home only at the age of 99, and even then very much on her own terms. John died in 1991. She is survived by her three children, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
IOL News
10-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
From sacrifice to celebration: South African Legion marks 80 years of VE Day
Teenager Lucas Johannes Wolmarans (far right) Fourie (centre) and Cowley (left) from Langlaage Minesweeper at Ismailia (Egypt) rest camp during WWII. Image: Supplied The South African Legion will paid tribute to the brave men and women who served during World War II, with a special three-day commemoration marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day. Hosted at the Castle of Good Hope from 8–10 May, the exhibition and memorial service aimed to honour those whose contributions have long gone unrecognised. VE Day, which marked the formal end of WWII in Europe on 8 May 1945, may feel like a distant memory to many, but for thousands of South African families, its significance remains deeply personal. Over 334,000 South Africans volunteered for service during the war—many of them young, idealistic, and eager to serve, despite the odds stacked against them. Among these were more than 123,000 men of colour who served in non-combat and support roles, often under challenging and discriminatory conditions. 'This soldier did the most magnificent and brave things. With a number of bullets in his body he returned time after time into a veritable hell of machine-gun fire to pull out wounded men. He is a credit to his country,' said Major-General Dan Pienaar, speaking of Lance-Corporal Lucas Majozi, a Black stretcher-bearer who was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his heroism at El Alamein. WAAF Sergeant fitting gas mask Image: Supplied Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The event at the Castle was more than just a history lesson. It was a space to reflect, remember, and reconnect with stories of resilience and sacrifice—stories often left out of mainstream narratives. The exhibition included rare archival photos, first-hand testimonies, and displays dedicated to the Native Military Corps, the Cape Corps, and the thousands of women who played vital roles through the Women's Auxiliary Defence Corps and the South African Women's Auxiliary Services (SAWAS). These women served in the air force, navy, medical units and even the military police, often unpaid and unrecognised. 'We did everything we could, the best we could… and that's it,' recalled naval veteran Lucas Wolmarans—a sentiment echoed by many veterans whose service was quiet but steadfast. Cape Corps Strecher bearers before Monte Caprara battle (Italy) Image: Supplied The commemoration will culminate in a non-denominational memorial service at 11am on Saturday, 10 May. Ian Neilson, former Deputy Mayor of Cape Town, will deliver a keynote on behalf of the Mayor. The service will feature performances by Christel House South Africa's Brass Ensemble and Jazz Band—young musicians from one of the city's most inspiring no-fee schools—as well as the sounding of the Last Post by five trumpeters from South African College High School (SACS), a school known for its longstanding tradition of military remembrance. 'The importance of continuing to mark the anniversary of this global event that had such a profound effect on modern history, is to remind us of the horrors of war and to value the sanctity of peace, lest we forget the former,' said Kevin P. Ashton JCD, Chairman of the SA Legion Cape Town Branch. Benghazi - Lt Hymie Markman_Lt Hymie Markman with 16 Squadron, SAAF, drivers and local Arabic man on donkey Image: Supplied Today will also feature a WWII re-enactment field kitchen, run by The Heritage Group in period dress, sales tables with military-themed books, and a public engagement booth hosted by Commander Mac Bisset (retired) of the Western Cape Military History Society. Members of the public can bring family medals for identification, learn how to access veterans' records, or simply share in a moment of reflection. Visitors are also invited to add a personal message to the Peace Wall—a tribute to the enduring hope for a more peaceful future. South Africa's contribution to the war effort was vast. Besides full-time volunteers, there were more than 63,000 part-time military volunteers across defence, engineering, naval, and home guard units. A further 60,000 unpaid volunteers—many of them women—supported wartime operations through knitting circles, fundraising, and local war effort campaigns. The Cape Coloured Women War Workers (CWWW) and Native Women War Workers (NWWW) were instrumental in this, with 123 active branches and over 6,000 members nationally. Today, close to 12,000 South Africans who died during WWII are commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, including some 2,000 with no known graves. The Military Museum at the Castle, one of South Africa's oldest heritage sites, will house the exhibition—a fitting location to honour those who helped shape the modern world, often at great personal cost. Tickets to the Castle are R50 for adults and R25 for children and pensioners, available at the ticket office. Exhibition hours run from 9am to 4pm daily. The South African Legion, formed in 1921 by war veterans including Field Marshall Earl Haig and General Jan Smuts, continues its work today—supporting former servicemen and women, advocating for war pensions, and preserving military heritage for future generations. Weekend Argus
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'It was fabulous' says veteran who sat beside King
A 98-year-old Second World War veteran who had a blanket wrapped around her by the King during this week's VE Day parade says she "had no idea" that she was going to be seated next to His Royal Highness. Joy Trew, who was born in Bristol but lives in Wells in Somerset,, served in the WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) and worked at RAF Chicksands during the war. There she listened to intercepted enemy messages in support of Bletchley Park, Britain's leading code-breaking facility. She was recently awarded a medal on national TV for her wartime service, having been missed off the original roll of honour as she was living in Spain. Joy travelled to London to attend the VE Day military parade on Monday. Upon arrival an attendant asked Joy's daughter if she wouldn't mind sitting next to an "important" person. "When I sat down I noticed there were two empty seats next to me," said Joy. "They looked just like our seats so I asked my daughter who was sitting next to us and she had to come clean." To Joy's surprise she had been selected to sit next to the King and Queen in the front row. "He shook my hand and asked me about my service and what I did and we talked about the parade - it was absolutely fabulous," she said. Joy got national attention when King Charles was pictured 'tucking her in' by wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. RAF Chicksands in Bedfordshire where Joy worked was part of a large network of signals intelligence collection sites known as Y-stations. The stations fed any encrypted messages back to the code breakers at Bletchley Park to be deciphered. All Y Station listeners are classed as Bletchley Park veterans and were issued with a specially-made medal in 2009, but Joy missed out due to living abroad. She has now finally been awarded a medal, after her family told her story to the author and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop. "Joy came to me through the medium of Instagram - when her great grandson got in touch to ask why she wasn't in one of my books," said Dr Dunlop. "I had just finished a book on how we commemorate war and the different veterans voices in 100 memorials - I had just finished it when up pops the best veteran of the lot in Joy," she added. Dr Dunlop was able to arrange a medal for Joy which she received after her very special day sitting next to the King. SIMPLE GUIDE: VE Day moments so far - and what's still to come IN PICTURES: Red Arrows, royals, veterans and tea WATCH: Unseen royal moments from VE Day commemorations 360 VIDEO: Experience the flypast from inside a Red Arrows cockpit EXPLORE: More on VE Day Man seeks to trace fellow WW2 Somerset evacuees Headlines: West Country falls silent for VE Day VE Day brought 'piles of goodies' after war trauma
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'It was fabulous' says veteran who sat beside King
A 98-year-old Second World War veteran who had a blanket wrapped around her by the King during this week's VE Day parade says she "had no idea" that she was going to be seated next to His Royal Highness. Joy Trew, who was born in Bristol but lives in Wells in Somerset,, served in the WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) and worked at RAF Chicksands during the war. There she listened to intercepted enemy messages in support of Bletchley Park, Britain's leading code-breaking facility. She was recently awarded a medal on national TV for her wartime service, having been missed off the original roll of honour as she was living in Spain. Joy travelled to London to attend the VE Day military parade on Monday. Upon arrival an attendant asked Joy's daughter if she wouldn't mind sitting next to an "important" person. "When I sat down I noticed there were two empty seats next to me," said Joy. "They looked just like our seats so I asked my daughter who was sitting next to us and she had to come clean." To Joy's surprise she had been selected to sit next to the King and Queen in the front row. "He shook my hand and asked me about my service and what I did and we talked about the parade - it was absolutely fabulous," she said. Joy got national attention when King Charles was pictured 'tucking her in' by wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. RAF Chicksands in Bedfordshire where Joy worked was part of a large network of signals intelligence collection sites known as Y-stations. The stations fed any encrypted messages back to the code breakers at Bletchley Park to be deciphered. All Y Station listeners are classed as Bletchley Park veterans and were issued with a specially-made medal in 2009, but Joy missed out due to living abroad. She has now finally been awarded a medal, after her family told her story to the author and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop. "Joy came to me through the medium of Instagram - when her great grandson got in touch to ask why she wasn't in one of my books," said Dr Dunlop. "I had just finished a book on how we commemorate war and the different veterans voices in 100 memorials - I had just finished it when up pops the best veteran of the lot in Joy," she added. Dr Dunlop was able to arrange a medal for Joy which she received after her very special day sitting next to the King. SIMPLE GUIDE: VE Day moments so far - and what's still to come IN PICTURES: Red Arrows, royals, veterans and tea WATCH: Unseen royal moments from VE Day commemorations 360 VIDEO: Experience the flypast from inside a Red Arrows cockpit EXPLORE: More on VE Day Man seeks to trace fellow WW2 Somerset evacuees Headlines: West Country falls silent for VE Day VE Day brought 'piles of goodies' after war trauma
Times
08-05-2025
- General
- Times
Gwen Thomas obituary: WAAF signals operator with elite RAF Pathfinders
Gwen Thomas had just turned 18 when in September 1942 she volunteered for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). She did not want to go into the army and 'liked the uniform' of the WAAF, a view held by many young women who found the RAF blue more flattering than the army khaki. Having trained as a teleprinter operator, she was posted in June 1943 to the signals section of the Pathfinders, an elite unit established the previous August to help Bomber Command to find targets in the dark. They flew ahead of the main force, mainly in Lancaster bombers and more nimble Mosquitoes, dropping coloured flares to mark targets in Nazi Germany that would later be bombed from the air. Thomas was based at
