ASSOCIATION OF WRENS
SUPPORTING THE WRNS BENEVOLENT TRUST

GLASGOW BRANCH

In April 1946 whilst on dispersal leave 1/0 Kate Mckay WRNS requested permission from Chief Officer Nancy Robertson WRNS (Rosyth Command) to start an AOW branch in Glasgow. 2/0 Alison Downie WRNS, recently retired and with the Glasgow Herald put out the call and 200 ex-Wrens attended the inaugural meeting on 26.7.46. Fast forward to the Silver Jubilee Dinner attended by Dame Jocelyn Woollcombe, President AOW and Miss McKay, their first Chairman, and then to their 60th Anniversary lunch as guests of the Wardroom of HMS NEPTUNE.

Many years of good camaraderie has been the mainstay of this Branch and since 1998 their enthusiastic secretary Jenoffer Oliver (3/0 Newcombe WRNS and unofficial co-editor with the Padre of the first Navy News!) has become known as the point of contact for many individual members in the north, visitors from the south, and overseas. In 2001 AOW members travelled to Glasgow for the Out-of-Town Council meeting and in 2004 the Branch featured on the cover of The Wren magazine when they paid a courtesy visit to HMS GLASGOW.

Jenoffer worked closely with BBC Radio Scotland for their production of a CD entitled Westside Wrens, an account of personal WWII memories from ex-Wrens living in Scotland, which was broadcast 2008/9.

Each year the Branch have a Christmas lunch at the University of Caledonia and go on a coach trip in June. They have been invited to celebrate the AOW 90th anniversary by taking tea in the Provost's Parlour. In 2009 it was discovered there were twelve ex-Wrens resident in Erskine Care Home (for Service Personnel) and a most successful coffee morning was arranged - each Wren resident receiving an overflowing goodie bag containing the WREN Magazine, toiletries, stationery, etc. Several members of the Branch are also active members of the RNA.

        

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