SCOTTISH DIVISION.

DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR: 1918 Miss Edith A. May: 1919 Miss Rachel Wilson

“You are pioneers. Go to your work. Uphold the dignity and honour of the Service.” With such words the Director sent us to our work in January, 1918.

To me was entrusted the whole of the W.R.N.S work in Scotland. Wherever naval bases or naval air stations had been established - there it was expected women would replace officers and men.

 Miss Noel, sent to Scotland a few weeks before, had discussed the outlook and the new Service with some of the senior naval officers. Her work, however, lay elsewhere, and early in February she returned to England.

One of the first things to be done was to establish a Divisional office. For one month all the office work was done in a bedroom in the North British Hotel. Fortunately I was able to secure the help of Miss Gilpin, who began by being my shorthand typist, and by the autumn became Deputy Principal in my office and a loyal right hand to me.

 Early in March we settled into three rooms at 54 Queen Street, Edinburgh. For some days we had no furniture, but at least there was a home for the letters, papers and a typewriter, and gradually furniture and stationery began to appear. Later on three other rooms were added when the staff of the Divisional office was increased in the autumn.

 Meantime I had been visiting some of the naval bases: -

 Rosyth, the headquarters of the Fleet, with the Commander-in-Chief of the Coast of Scotland, Vice-Admiral Sir Cecil Burney, in charge.

 Grangemouth, under Rear-Admiral Clinton Baker. At this base the Women's Royal Naval Service were warmly welcomed from the first.

 Inverness, where a large number of civilian women were absorbed into the W.R.N.S. and a still larger number gradually established.

 Granton, Oban, Ardrossan, Aberdeen, Peterhead very quickly sent in demands for women or asked that those who had been working for a year or more should be absorbed.

By the time the armistice was signed 41 W.R.N.S. bases and offices were in working order, and about 750 "Wren" ratings at work. From the Orkneys and Shetlands in the far north to Luce Bay in the south, from Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides to East Fortune in the S.E. were our women to be found. In addition, there were about 50 W.RN.S. officers in charge of hostels, Admiralty mail offices, anti-gas depots, or working as de-coders, signallers, or as assistant paymasters.

 The establishment of the W.R.N.S. in Scotland was no easy matter. "I've had women in my office since the autumn of 1914; if I have any fault to find with them I prefer to deal with the women myself." "The women in my office are paid according to the local rate of pay; why raise it?" "My staff of women will work no better in uniform than they have done hitherto."

Even as far on in the year as midsummer the senior naval officers were nervous about the discretion, intelligence, and skill of women for some departments of work. I remember being told, "Well, I'm going to fight against you; but if I lose, the women's Royal Naval Service will be treated right royally at this station." One could not resent this attitude. The naval officers knew the critical work - the dangerous work and all the hazards of war. They were only working for their country to the best of their ability. They knew the conditions, the dangers of lonely hillsides and outposts for young girls during the night, and were reluctant in the fourth year of the war to add fresh burdens to those already weighing heavily on their shoulders.

 By November, however, the "Wrens" were firmly established in Scotland. I quote a sentence from an Admiral's letter received about that time: "You may remember in the early part of the year when we met, I promised you that you would find the W.R.N.S. taken to the Navy's heart, and I am glad to see from your letter that my words have come true." It had come true, and I never lacked sympathy or help; and beyond that I know that what the Admirals and senior naval officers could do to encourage and help the women they did most cordially.

In many cases the hostels were the happiest possible club-homes for the girls and women, and in each case where this was particularly noticeable the Admiral or Captain had personally taken care to see that all reasonable comforts - and in many cases even more than that - were there. Weekly inspections, friendly visits, the institution of games and sports all helped to make the W.R.N.S. members feel that they were part of the Navy. Grangemouth, Granton, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Leith, and far-away Lerwick were splendid in this respect.. Some of the offices in Glasgow, too, where the W.R.N.S. worked in the heart of a big city, held little groups of girls who were wonderfully keen to uphold the spirit and rules of the Service.

Of the W.R.N.S. officers in Scotland I could never express what I feel. One and all showed such a loyal spirit - such a great desire to help the girls and women in their charge. It would be invidious to mention names, but there are some administrative officers in Scotland for whom no praise would be too high.

The W.R.N.S. owes much to friends outside the Service. The Bishop of Glasgow and Mrs Campbell who have constantly cheered the members in Glasgow. The Scottish Churches Huts' Committee who offered a hut, which unfortunately was never erected. Miss Lumsden, LL.D., Lord Guthrie, and others, who gave lectures on various subjects at the depot hostel.

 Mrs Chalmers Watson, C.B.E., for whose constant help and advice I owe much, and who with Lady Burney, Miss Alice Younger, O.B.E., of the Ministry of Labour, sat with me on the Preliminary Selection Board for Officers held in Edinburgh from time to time during the year.

Space prevents much mention of one of the most arduous parts of the work in Scotland - namely, the selection boards for the ratings held at short intervals in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, and Glasgow; long days spent with a member of the Ministry of Labour, the recruiting officer for the W.A.A.C. (and later on for the W.R.A.F.), choosing chauffeurs, domestic workers, clerical staff, etc., and when the day was over a wild dash for some food and to catch the train in order to hold a board at the opposite side of the country the next day.

But 1918 was one of the happiest years of my life, and the times of difficulty and anxiety were counterbalanced always by the loyalty and splendid spirit of my staff, the helpfulness of every officer in my Division.

EDITH A. MAY.