Contribution of WRENS (Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service) to armed services in Canada.

Well, I think we did a fantastic job. I really do. Some of those girls, especially, well, at that naval station. Now these girls were working eight-hour shifts, twenty-four hours a day. You know, that was a big chore because you’re listening with these stupid things on your heads, you know, to see what you can pick up. That was quite an experience to even be on that station, I thought. And, of course, it was all women except for four men. Because the women was the CO and the four men were the carpenter and the guys that looked after the furnaces and things like that. They were nice fellas. Interviewer: What types of work did the WRENS do freed up men to do other types of work? Well, they did supply, for one thing, and writers, stenographers, pay writers, you know, any kind of a job. The men would have had to do it. So there was nurses, nursing not in the, I guess you’d call them, not call them nurses anymore. What do they call them? (Attendants, stewards). Well, whatever, not quite a nurse, but they had to take that course, you know. And, lets see, what else was there? There was wireless … any kind of a job. Driving a truck even. If the women weren’t there, the men would have had to do it, wouldn’t they? I would think that we did a fantastic job, actually. I really do. You don’t hear too much about it, but that’s all that’s on the TV. All that’s on the TV, of course, is what the Americans did. But I think the Canadians did a fantastic job. Every group of them did a fantastic job, that were over there.

Margot Ligertwood discusses her look at the WRENS (Women’s Royal Canadian Naval) service and the contribution they made to the war effort in Canada.

Margot Ligertwood

Margot Ligertwood was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 20, 1922 and has six siblings. After finishing school, Ms. Ligertwood worked at the Eaton’s department store in Winnipeg. In September 1943, she enlisted, but wasn’t called to service until March, 1944. She then enlisted in the Canadian Navy with the WRENS (Women’s Royal Canadian Navy Service). She went to Gault (Cambridge today), Ontario for basic training. She later spent short amounts of time in service in Cornwallis, Halifax, Moncton, St.John’s, Toronto and Victoria. Throughout her service, she worked in supply as a supply assistant.