A Special Job

Having left HMS Birmingham in July of 1958, I was once again sent to HMS Dryad, which was now my base as a Radar man; although technically I was now a Portsmouth-based rating.

     Having had a bit of leave after the 18 months I had spent on the Brum, I duly reported to the job allocation section in Dryad. Believe it or not I was again given a very special job, and with it went another Blue card (remember the blue card excusing me of all normal duties as previously explained?). Now I was to report to a remote part of the camp; more or less hidden in the fields and woods beyond Norton House (the billet for the senior officers). Very few of the normal sailors were even aware this place existed. I duly reported to an old timer who was nominally in charge, but after having explained my duties it was fairly obvious he had very little to do with the day-to-day running of the place.

     Entrance into the camp was gained via a large gate set in an 8 ft. high wire fence which surrounded the entire compound, including a large open grassy area. There were four of the half-round corrugated-tin Nissan huts on the site, and running through the area was a pathway, fronting the huts. The entire right side of the fence ran up to and alongside quite a thick patch of a mature deciduous trees of some considerable age. There were two huts either side of the entrance gate. These were made of wood. One was only about ten feet square and this was to be my headquarters. Inside my hut was a waist-high bench upon which was a kettle, a hotplate, a frying pan, pots and pans, various cups, plates and saucers. There was also a large armchair. The other hut was a fair bit bigger and used for stores most of the time. It stood on the other side of the path. It had a similar but finer wire fencing at the back of it running alongside the path for several yards and eventually connected with the perimeter fence by the woods.
     Having been given my instructions, I was told not to discuss this place with anyone; as some might wish to break in, particularly on weekends. To help stop this, there was also a guard dog, named Judy (a Jack Russell cross) who was left on site every night, but during the day often went with the old timer on his rounds and other duties. There was one other thing to deter the most persistent interlopers, if that should be the case, and that was a .22 rifle.

     This compound housed W.R.E.N.S. So as you can see this was a very responsible job, and one that I could not talk about when I stayed in the normal part of the barracks. It was my job to look after these girls. Their stay in this camp carrying out their duties lasted on average for about 14 months, before being dispatched elsewhere.

     I had to provide their meals twice a day and, in general, look after their well being. Doing my rounds of the camp in the evenings, with the dog at my side and the gun at the ready in my hands, sometimes I had to fire warning shots over the heads of some of the more persistent interlopers who, in the main, did not try entering the camp again after that.

    During their 14 months or so, my girls had to carry out certain duties. At the same time I had to help them keep their appearance up to scratch, by giving them good food and allowing them out on to the grassed area in the sunshine. In the summer time at least, it was an easy job, but in inclement weather, this became more difficult. They seemed to lose their sheen and even began to look scruffy, but for that I gave them special supplements to their diet.

     Now as you can imagine, with all these ladies, there was at times a certain amount of jealousy particularly when I entered the huts to check that they were doing their duties. Sometimes I would find them still sitting on their beds, and had to make them get up. Quite often they would try to give me a little peck on the cheek at this point, but I didn’t mind, for as long as they did their jobs that was all right.

    There was one interloper that was very crafty, and he had to be kept away at all costs. In case he should try to get in the back door of the huts and have his way with my girls once it got dark, the last thing I did before I left for the night was to lock the girls in, and then switch on the arc lights around the perimeter of the camp; similar to a concentration camp you might say.

     Every day it was also my job to show the girl's efforts to the wardroom. This is not to say that, at times, I didn’t avail myself of the goods they so freely offered. What young red-blooded male wouldn’t?

     After about 9 months it was obvious that things were slackening off in the hut where the oldest of the girls were billeted. Some were just broodily sitting down on the job, and their enthusiasm was decreasing. This was also being noticed by the wardroom. It was obviously time for us to bring in some new recruits, and get rid of the older girls, who were worn out by the work they had been doing for the officers. So I was told to see to it that we brought in some younger girls, who in time would be able to take over the duties of those that were worn out.
    One hundred new girls were recruited and duly arrived; having made the journey by train and lorry. As soon as they arrived I made a big fuss of them. Since they were still immature, they were put in the small hut opposite the one I worked from so I could keep a close eye on them. The stores were temporarily placed elsewhere. I really pampered those girls. They were put on a special high-protein diet, their quarters were heated, and they even had special soft comfortable bedding.

    They were allowed out to get a bit of sunshine in a separate, and more secure, grassed area built especially behind that hut. This was necessary because they were so young and cute, and so far had never been laid. They matured very quickly. After awhile it was time for them to move into the first hut across the way, next to my HQ hut. The older ladies were now removed from the last hut. The rest of the personnel all moved up one hut toward the empty one next to them. So now I had the new recruits at the end nearest to the gates, and so on down the line to the oldest who were still capable of plying their trade, occupying the hut at the far end.

     The old girls that had been there were dispatched one last time to the wardroom for the officers to do with as they wished. What happened then I never asked!

     If I wished to have a weekend off, I would have to get a stand-in for myself, and they had to be sworn to absolute secrecy. But after a taste of what my girls had to offer, that wasn’t a difficult thing to get them to do. They naturally kept quiet, not wishing to lose the ability to avail themselves of my girls wares in the future.

     I was in this wonderful job for just about nine months, which of course was a critical time for me and the girls. Having availed myself of what they had to offer over that period it was then time for me to go to sea, and to get away from any possible repercussions.

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My W.R.E.N.S. : Ward Room Eggs Naturally Supplied

The camp was a Chicken Farm...and "my girls" were Rhode Island Reds.   :-)