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RNAS Donibristle
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Those known to have sailed in RNAS Donibristle during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Ashburner Joan Margaret. Ldg Wren (d.9th Jun 1944)
- Batchelor Margaret Elsie Claire. Ldg Wren (d.9th Jun 1944)
- Daunt John Achilles. Mech.
- Jennings James William.
- Owen Edna Grace.
- Ritchie Edward. Able Sea.
- Thorpe Ina Bremner. PO.
- Tilley William John. Lead Air. (d.22nd Aug 1944)
- Uren George. (d.11th January 1941)
- Walker Alan Alfred.
- Westwood Nancy Isabella Beatrix.
- Williamson George.
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
Records of RNAS Donibristle from other sources.
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Want to know more about RNAS Donibristle? There are:0 items tagged RNAS Donibristle available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Alan Alfred Walker HMS Pembroke Alan Walker born in 1923 and joined the Royal Navy in 1939 aged 16. He was a supply assistant and was based predominantly during the Second World War in Port of Spain in Trinidad at HMS Benbow a shore establishment.
I believe it was during this time he met his 1st wife Elaine who was a Trinidadian whom I believe he married over there. (I have yet to find proof of this though) and brought her back to the UK in 1945.
He served on:- HMS Royal Arthur 42-43,
- HMS President 43-43,
- HMS Pembroke March 43-may 43,
- HMS Benbow 1943-1945,
- HMS Pembroke May 45-Jul 45,
- HMS Europa Jul 45- May 46,
- HMS Pembroke Jun 46-Jun46,
- HMS Merlin until discharged Oct 1946.
He did enjoy his time in the Royal Navy, but said the times were hard and he saw things that no man/woman should see, but he never regretted serving for his country.
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Nancy Isabella Beatrix Westwood Royal Naval Aircraft Repair Yard, Donibristle Nancy Westwood was working in the Co-operative in Wishaw as a clerkess. As a single woman aged 22, she was called up and went to train as an aircraft fitter in Springburn, Glasgow. This was in 1941.
The men and women being trained were taught basic metal work for nine months. Their first test was to make a 1-inch metal square that fitted into a 1 inch square hole, with a tolerance of 5 thousandths of an inch. When she completed her training she was sent to the Fleet Air Arm's Royal Naval Aircraft Repair Yard at Donibristle in Fife, HMS Merlin.
There, as Nancy's father was an electrician, she was chosen to re-train as an electrical fitter. First she worked as mate to Charlie Nisbet. He had been invalided out of the RAF. After three months Nancy was a qualified electrical fitter and got her own mate, a woman called Maisie Sinclair.
Nancy worked repairing the electrics on Spitfires, Albacores, Walruses, and Swordfishes. They worked inside a big hangar. Sometimes they got a job to do on the flying field outside, then they were given sheepskin jackets.
The men who were trained alongside Nancy got the full wage automatically when they completed their three months. The women were paid less. Nancy and her cohort joined the electrical trade union, and the shop steward argued their case and they got equal pay with the men. The wages were very good compared to the Co-operative, eight pounds a week as against two pounds a week as a clerkess.
Originally they stayed in digs in Fife. Special trains brought many like Nancy every day to work at Donibristle, from Kirkaldy and Edinburgh. Her railway pass calls her an Admiralty Workman. Nancy and her friend Marion Robertson soon went to live in digs in Edinburgh, because it was easier to travel home from there. They got one day off a month.
The first place Marion and Nancy stayed at in Edinburgh, Marion got communist leaflets sent to her, and they were asked to leave. One place they looked at, had a party going on. The furniture was piled with servicemens hats. The bed was covered with greatcoats. Nancy and Marion were horrified and said they would let them know. Nancy was shocked when I asked if they went out to the pubs in Edinburgh. Perhaps women didn't then. They went to the pictures, or the dancing, there were many dance halls and you just went for a couple of hours.
Once, on the bus travelling home to Wishaw, Nancy met an Australian pilot called Teddy McGill. He was visiting relatives in Shotts. They went out together, but then she never heard from him. She supposes he was killed.
Nancy thoroughly enjoyed the war.
Girls weren't allowed to do anything in those days, she says. In fact her mum nearly succeeded in preventing her from leaving home, saying she was needed at home and that Nancy's brother had already been killed by the Japanese. She failed to mention that Nancy's father and two other brothers were all in reserved occupations as electricians and engineers.
However, Nancy succeeded in escaping, and she earned good money at Donibristle. By 1945 she had saved more than £1000. She and her husband John intended to buy a house, but there were no houses to buy after the war. They had to move back in with Nancy's parents, where they had two children. It wasn't till 1952 that they got a council house, and eventually spent Nancy's money on a car.
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Able Sea. Edward Ritchie HMS Merlin Edward Ritchie served on 9 Different ships from 4th March 1941 to 23rd April 1946.
He was wounded in Action on the 3rd of September 1944
and served at HMS Merlin from the 17th of June 1945 to 23rd of April 1946.
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George "Geordie" Williamson 782 Squadron HMS Merlin My dad, George Williamson, never spoke of his time in the Navy during WW2, all I know is that he was based in Scotland.
I'd love if anyone could tell me more about this.
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George Uren HMS Merlin (d.11th January 1941) I only know George Edward Uren died when HMS Merlin sank I believe January 11th 1941. He was the son of Edward who was also serving in the War. He was my grandfather's brother.
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Edna Grace Owen Fleet Air Arm My mother was in the Fleet Air Arm. She served on HMS Merlin, HMS Spartiate in 1944, HMS Fledgling, HMS Heron as a specialist air mechanic and HMS Merlin in 1944-46 from where she was released in November 1946. She died in 2002.
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Mech. John Achilles Daunt HMS Royal Arthur Fleet Air Arm My uncle, John Achilles Daunt, served at:
HMS Royal Arthur from 22nd June until 1st July 1943
HMS Gosling from 13th July until 18th September 1943
HMS Daedalus from 14th September until 17th October 1943
HMS Gannet from 24th February 1944 until 19th March 1944
HMS Daedalus from 17th October 1944 until 12th December 1944
HMS Merlin from 13th December 1944 until 17th January 1946
HMS Flycatcher March 1946 and HMS Dipper April 1946.
He left the Navy in August 1946 to join the Palestine police and was killed in March 1947. He is buried in Ramleh War Cemetery.
I have copies of the certificate of service S-459. What does UCH/77477 in the `Nature of Decoration' mean in the section medals, clasps?
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PO. Ina Bremner Thorpe Steward Ina Thorpe in WRNS from 1940-1946 and was stationed at the following establishments for the duration: HMS Ambrose, MTC Rosyth, HMS Sparrow Hawk, HMS Merlin, HMS Condor, HMS Merganser. Rating from WREN to petty officer, and in the category of steward.
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James William Jennings HMS Medina My father, James William Jennings, was drafted into the Fleet Air Arm when joining up in 1941 and served as an Air mechanic. He served on ships such as the Medina, Daedalus, Kestrel, Candor, Victory, Merlin and Nighthawk (the ship he was on when he was discharged. Most of the war he spent in South Africa. I am hoping to find out more about his shipmates and people he served with during the war. I know he was in the Royal Naval Air Squad hockey team. But apart from that I don't know much.
Sadly he died in 1975, long before I could be interested in his war time experiences.
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