PORTSMOUTH DIVISION.

DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR: 1918, MISS N. JOHNSTONE-DOUGLAS:

1919 MISS F.E. WARTON.

On January 22nd 1918 Miss N. Johnstone-Douglas arrived in Portsmouth to establish there, for the first time, a sub-division of the W.R.N.S. The naval establishments of the port had asked that the women already working in their offices and yards might be absorbed into the W.R.N.S., and the women, although at first loath to undergo the change, were finally persuaded to consent to it, with the result that here, as in other places, they found membership of a fixed service a benefit and not the disadvantage that they had feared it might be.

In a short time units were started at Eastney Barracks, Forton Barracks, the Mining School, Paravane Department, Royal Naval Barracks, Signal School, H.M.S. Excellent, H.M.S. Dolphin, and finally the last to be absorbed, at the Commander-in-Chiefs Office. It was at Eastney Barracks, the headquarters of the Royal Marine Artillery, that the first members of the W.R.N.S. in this Division were enrolled. In February, at the R.N. Barracks, a course of training for cooks and stewards of the W.R.N.S. was begun, and result proved highly satisfactory.

No. 18 Lion Terrace was taken as the office and home of Miss Johnstone-Douglas, the Divisional Director, and three other officers, and early in March an Officers' Mess was started at Vernon House by a W.R.N.S. officer for the accommodation of officers of the Royal Navy.

From March onwards there was an ever increasing demand for more members of the Service, and large selection boards were held, at which it is estimated that over 1,000 women were interviewed.

The Lion commercial Hotel was taken in June, and was converted into the Lion Hostel. Not merely baptism, immersion was necessary, in order to make the dirty old inn clean and habitable. In July, Miller's Hotel was secured, and also successfully transformed, for it had become hard to accommodate all the mobile members working in Portsmouth.

A training course for cooks was established at the Lion Hostel, large numbers passing through to be drafted to wherever the Service needed them. In June it was decided, in face of some opposition, that the W.R.N.S. cooks and stewards should be employed in the Officers' Mess of H.M.S. Excellent, and the result more than justified the hopes of its promoters.

An anti-gas mask department was started, but little work of the kind was necessary at Portsmouth as the ships arriving there were seldom in need of repair. At the Mining School, however, where depth charge workers were employed, they proved useful, and were highly thought of in their work.

 Tracing was a special feature of the work done by the women at the Paravane Department, and two of them, on being sent to special classes by the S.N.O. became qualified draughtswomen.

By June, the total number of members of the W.R.N.S. in the port was 782; by November, it had risen to 1,148. During the summer of 1918, at the various sports meetings of the Signal School, Tipnor, and R.N Barracks, events were arranged for the W.R.N.S., who were cordially invited to be present and take part. Tennis courts were kindly lent to the officers by the Commander-in-Chief and the Rear-Admiral of the Barracks for two days a week.

In the autumn, the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral the Hon. Sir Stanley Colville, inspected all W.R.N.S. establishments, and made a most favourable report, complimenting the Divisional director and the officers under her on the quality of the work accomplished.

On September 13th, H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught inspected the R.N. Barracks. The members of the W.R.N.S. employed there were paraded between the main gate and the officers' gate, under the command of the Divisional Director, who was presented to the Duke. His Royal Highness, with the Commander-in-Chief and the Rear-Admiral of the Barracks, then inspected the lines of the W.RN.S., expressing his entire satisfaction with them. The following day, the women of the Barracks and the Signal School were assembled at the Gymnasium for inspection by H.R.H. Princess Patricia, who expressed her great pleasure at the smartness of the march past.

From August until November training courses for de-coders were held at the Signal School in the R.N. Barracks, the reports from the instructors there being very satisfactory.

On November 14th the W.R.N.S. took part in a procession through the streets behind captured German guns to celebrate the armistice. Three weeks later, when the captured German submarines were brought to the port, 300 members of the W.R.N.S., with a marine band in attendance, marched from Lion Terrace to the South Railway jetty, where a place was reserved for them, from which to view the procession of coastal motor boats, patrol boats, and destroyers, followed by the German submarines.

The Pitt Street Gymnasium, having been lent to the W.R.N.S. by the naval authorities, Miss Walley, the Deputy Divisional Director, started classes there for officers and ratings, which proved popular and successful, with the result that the Captain Superintendent of Physical Training in Portsmouth and Admiralty representative for the Naval and Military Tournament, invited her to take a chosen number of officers and ratings to the Naval and Military Tournament at Olympia to compete in drill with members of the W.R.A.F. and the Q.M.A.A.C.

The death of one of the workers at the coastal motor boat base during the influenza epidemic was the occasion of the first naval funeral accorded to a member of the Service. It was attended by representatives of the naval establishments, officers, petty officers, and men, and by a large number of members of the W.R.N.S. The general health of the W.R.N.S. in the port has been good.

On January 22nd the Director visited Portsmouth, staying at Admiralty House. On the evening of her arrival she attended the W.R.N.S. concert at St. Mark's Institute. During her visit the Director inspected all units and offices, and was present one evening at the Pitt Street Gymnasium, expressing great pleasure in seeing the drill and exercises.

 On January 28th, the W.R.N.S. gave a fancy ball at the Town Hall, and it is estimated that 1,500 people attended 1,100 to dance and the rest as spectators. Officers from the visiting Brazilian squadron and from the American yachts U.S.S. Harvard, and U.S.S. Aphrodite were among those who attended.

 In March, 1919, Miss Johnstone-Douglas left the Service in order to get married, carrying with her the good wishes of all who had worked with her. She was succeeded as Divisional Director by Miss F. E. Warton, who had until then been in charge of Liverpool Division.

In the Commander-in-Chief, with those under him, the Women's Royal Naval Service at Portsmouth has had a constant friend and helper, while to his wife, Lady Adelaide Colville, much is owing for unfailing kindliness and hospitality.

Borne on the books of Victory I, and that means quick pay, within daily sight of the Victory herself, where she lies anchored, feeling one in work and play with the Service that has so generously accepted them as part of themselves, the life of the W.R.N.S. in Portsmouth is a good life.

F. L. SCHREINER, A.P.