sign my guest book please
sign
my guest book please
WW2
extra pictures
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click for larger view
1. second
left 2.
right
3. middle 4.
far right 5. front right
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click for a larger view
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Henry is far left
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1939
JAMES STEWART
Jimmy in
middle
Jimmy on
right
Jimmy to right
Release
Discharge
Jimmy Savage in
middle
RAF Service book Service
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JOHN JAMESON - 5th from left
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John Thomas Passfield
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John Joseph McKeown, bottom right, 2nd in
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Rebecca
McCabe had only been in the Wrens two weeks when she was told that
Queen Elizabeth was coming to inspect them
and was so pleased that she was chosen to stand in the front row (x) and at the
same time King George 6th was inspecting The Royal Navy
Royal Naval Choir H.M.S. Caroline, Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church, Bangor,
Co. Down
Centre front - Rear Admiral Bevan, Flag Officer in charge Northern Ireland
This photograph was taken at the Hilton Hotel in Brighton, April 2004, there was
a reunion for the Captain Class Frigates
and Betty (Rebecca) [right] was invited along as she had served on H.M.S.
Caroline
Pictured along with Betty is her good friend Peg Smyth who was also a Wren on
H.M.S. Caroline
The gentleman in his Naval uniform was one of the serving Americans during the
war who had also
been invited over from America as part of the Destroyer Escort Ships Association
America lent Britain 78 ships during the war as we did not have the shipping for
the fight against Germany.
This sailor was wearing the uniform that he wore during WW2
Wren Betty McCabe attached to H.M.S.
Caroline, Pollock Dock, Belfast as a Maintenance Wren
and also at Belfast Castle in the Signals Distribution Office
Rebecca McCabe was born in 59 Palmer Street, Belfast (Crumlin Rd) on 31.08.1921 and on leaving school at 14
(Woodvale Primary) went to work in Mourne Clothing and after 2 years left and went to Ewarts Mill.
Then she applied to join
the W.R.N.S. and while waiting for her call up went to work in Mackies. In 1942 she joined up and within a few weeks of starting
she met Queen Elizabeth who was inspecting the women while her husband King George was inspecting the Royal Navy on the
opposite side of Pollock Dock she is fourth on the left in the photograph with the queen talking to her, she couldn't remember
what she said as she was so over awed.
Rebecca was a maintenance Wren. topping up the large banks of batteries on board trawlers and checking them with a hydrometer
and filling them with distilled water, also she had to check the electrical contacts in the wheelhouse and make sure they were in full
working order. She was attached to H.M.S. Caroline and after two years she was transferred to Belfast Castle S.D.O. Signal Distribution
Office where she took messages etc. In the run up to D-Day she saw all the boats lined up in Belfast Lough ready to leave.
The Commander
of Northern Ireland was Commander Bevan and was called 'Chiefy' though not to his face I shouldn't think.
Rebecca was also a soloist in the Royal Naval Choir and they would sing at different venues all over the Belfast Area.
The photograph shows her in the back row 1st on the left. She also used to sing frequently in the Grosvenor Hall on the
Grosvenor Road, Belfast.
In 1946 she married my father ( a Londoner) who was also in the Royl Navy, in Crumlin Road Methodist Church and
returned with him to England and eventually coming back to Northern Ireland to live in 1973 and in 1986 my father died
and she died on 11.12.2006 but was never happier than telling stories of her time in the
W.R.N.S.
~ Caroline Simmonds nee McCabe
