We have chosen Canadian Military Heritage Museum [a volunteer All Service Museum] in Brantford, Ontario, for Material and Display items.

For Wartime related and Basic Training WRCNS plus some info on Wrens ie Reunions and Material…we have chosen City Of Cambridge Ontario Archives …[related to Galt and HMCS Conestoga the Wrens Training Base]

And donated approx. 20 organization yearly scrapbooks and some Jenny Wren Times Newsletters to the City of Toronto Archives.

In addition – some material has been donated to:

CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum in Victoria BC,

and Naval and Military Museum [HMCS Chippewa] in Winnipeg Manitoba.

We have notation that some earlier wren materials were given to the Canadian War Museum.

The National Library holds all copies of the wartime publication ‘Tiddley Times’ regarding Wrens at Bases during the war years.

Addresses for the Galt Archives and the Military Museum are:

The CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO, GALT ARCHIVES

Location: PO Box 669, 46 Dickson Street, Cambridge Ont. N1R 5W8
Phone: 519 740 4680

Primarily paper or photographs HMCS Conestoga, and Wartime Records, Post War Records, Reunion and Miscellaneous Items.

CANADIAN MILITARY HERITAGE MUSEUM

Location: 347 Greenwich St., Building 19, Brantford Ontario
Mailing Address: PO Box 27033, 794 Colborne St, Brantford, Ont. N3S 7V1
Phone: 519-759-1313

Primarily Uniforms (Wartime and Postwar) and Material Collections, Secondary Archives, Reunion and Miscellaneous Items.

Please Note:

There is/was no national Wren Organization…at the moment – 2014- only Winnipeg and Halifax and Toronto have meetings. There were earlier organizations in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Thunder Bay, London, Hamilton, Kingston, and Ottawa.

Eligibility for Bletchley Park Badge,
Second World War…Canada 2014

 “Y”- (for “Wireless”) Service: the Listening Service – an organization just as secret as Bletchley Park during the war.  Without it, however, the Allies would have known nothing of the enemy’s military intentions

• In the case of the WRCNS W/T SO’s:-in Canada, at Gloucester or Coverdale, or at Gordon Head.

• LORAN stations,  Baccaro or Deeming whether in the ops room, the ‘Z’ room or the shacks.  

From Bletchley Park the following selected information:

On behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, GCHQ is delighted to recognize the vital service of those who worked at Bletchley Park and its outstations during World War II by presenting surviving veterans with a commemorative badge. These outstations include Canada.

If you know of anyone who served in this capacity (this includes WRENS)  please note the contact.

The names of those who would have been eligible for recognition but are deceased can be submitted for inclusion in an Honour Roll. Instructions and other details on how to apply for the badge can found in the following web page:

https://www.gchq.gov.uk/information/bletchley-park-commemorative-badge

{ This Badge comes through the United Kingdom Government.}

Check our calendar for the date and time.  This is also the Valentines meeting so that we hope to see you all decked out in shades of red.

For 2014 Roses- contact your local Retail Nursery and preorder.

Click the link to see the pdf of this year’s suppliers across Canada and the USA for our Canadian Naval Centennial Rose, AC Navy Lady for 2014.

Click here

Minister MacKay Recognizes the 70th Anniversary of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service

OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Nov. 8, 2012) – As part of Veterans’ Week 2012, the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, wishes to mark the 70th anniversary of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, better known as the “Wrens”. Established as a division of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service was created on July 31, 1942. This group of Canadian women volunteered to serve Canada during the Second World War at a time when women had not previously played an active role in the Canadian military.

“The Canadian women who volunteered to serve their nation brought significant contributions to the Canadian war effort during these turbulent years,” said the Honourable Peter MacKay. “These women helped change the way society looked at women and the important role they could play in the defence of our country. Today women play an integrated part in all aspects of the Canadian Forces, and the Wrens can be proud to have played a key role in leading the way.”

“These courageous women simply wanted to be in naval service at a time when there was a huge threat to Canada’s national interests at sea,” said Vice-Admiral Paul Maddison, Commander Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Forces Champion for Diversity. “They willingly faced the inequalities of the day, did great work ashore to enable the success of our men at sea and helped push society into full acceptance of the role of women as full contributing members of the Royal Canadian Navy. Today, women serve as equals in the Royal Canadian Navy, as both regular and reserve members, ashore and at sea. I would not want to deploy a ship or submarine without women of all ranks among their crews.”

Many young women signed up for the duration of the Second World War, putting family and careers on the back burner. By the end of the war, nearly 7,000 women had served with the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service in 39 different trades including many non-traditional occupations such as sonar operators, coders, and telegraphists.

When the war was over, the Wrens left the Navy and returned to their hometowns, but because of what they had endured, their lives had changed forever and nothing would be the same for them or for Canada. The efforts of these pioneering women helped open the door for the women who now serve in a broad range of roles in the Canadian Forces today.

Good news from our AC^TM Navy Lady rose grower!

Click here to see the larger poster about how well our Canadian Naval Centennial Rose for 2010 has been doing – lovely!

Thank you from ‘ NAVY LADY’ : YEAR END UPDATE

100th Anniversary of the Canadian Navy

Wren Associations of Canada thank you the public, and the naval community, for your interest in the 1910-2010 Canadian Naval Centennial Rose…’Navy Lady’.

Based on information we have received – over 45 centennial rose events have taken place across Canada during 2010, plus many individual plantings. Continue reading →