Historic Photo Archive Turns Into Support Network For Ex Wrens

Janette Crisp is looking for ex Wrens – anyone who joined during 1947-81 and trained at HMS Dauntless (Reading). Janette is compiling a searchable, accessible archive of Divisional “class” photos that only ex wrens may access. The collection also encourages old friends to be rediscovered, memories shared and new friendships/support groups formed.

Janette told DGWGO “Like thousands of others, being stuck at home during lockdown finally gave me the time to start a project that had been on my mind for years, collecting and archiving class photos from the Wrens Training establishment HMS Dauntless, which was in operation from 1946 until 1981.

Literally within days I realised the idea was much bigger than just photo storage. A friend came on board to help with the deluge of information that landed on my desk and within a month we had over 1000 ‘members’ in the group. That’s when we realised that this was so much more important than just an archive of old photos. It became a place of memories, finding old friends, making new ones, adding photos of adventures and escapades. It brought isolated ladies together, occasionally offering moral support and gave us all things to think and talk about. Within the first month there were over 10.5k social interactions within the Group.

I am looking for ex Wrens – anyone who joined during 1946-81 and trained at HMS Dauntless (Reading). The collection is accessible to ex wrens and also encourages old friends to be rediscovered, memories shared and new friendships/support groups formed.

If you were, or you know of any ladies who were, in the Wrens, please get in touch with us because we’d love to hear from you and quite possibly, give the opportunity to reconnect with old classmates.”

Mandy Whitham and Janette Crisp

Coordinators, Dauntless Div Phots

[email protected]