Clothes for Work

This suit of navy blue twilled wool suiting with its tricorne hat of velour was made by the Naval tailors Simpson and Suter of Portsmouth and London. It was worn by Sybil W Aspinall, who joined the WRNS in October 1918 and served until October 1919. Her rank was Assistant Principal (women were not allowed the men's Naval ranks), and she worked as an administrator in Admiralty House, London. She was awarded the British War Medal.

The Women's Royal Naval Service was not formed until early 1918, and only after much pressure and lobbying by women of influence. There were two branches, the Mobile, whose members could be sent on duty anywhere in Britain, and the Immobile, women who lived at home and worked locally, usually in London or at the Naval bases in Portsmouth and Devonport. Only women who had a male relative in the Navy were eligible to enlist. Wrens could be clerks, signallers, cooks, engineers, electricians, gardeners and pigeon women (looking after carrier pigeons). They could do almost everything that the men could, except go to sea.

Full item descriptions:

"woman's royal naval service uniform" [1947.2535/9], Simpson & Suter, Woodrow

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