Barbara Meetens Died 20th January 2025

In late 1943 aged 18 Barbara applied to join the Wrens with a first interview in Birmingham followed by a medical in Derby.

While waiting to be called up the family had once again moved to Wyford Grange Farm near Reading and Barbara took a temporary job at Miles Aircraft just outside Reading.

Twelve weeks later, on the 17 May 1944, she was sent off to Wesley College, Headingly, Leeds for initial training and kitting out [ most of her training consisted of cleaning] and after just two weeks was drafted to Portsmouth Command and while waiting for her posting, was billeted at a former hotel overlooking Southsea Common and the Solent.

The Common was full of military equipment and vehicles but on the morning of the 6 June Barbara looked out of her window to see an empty beach – it was D Day.

Her initial post was at HMS Mercury, Petersfield but then was transferred to Basing Park near Alton, Hampshire which was the Officer Cadet Training School which she much preferred.

However, by the Summer of 1944 the authorities were calling for volunteers for overseas service and she and several others put their names forward. Just before Christmas 1944 Barbara was told to report to Crosby Hall, Chelsea for embarkation in January 1945 and it was there that she first met Joan, a life-long friend, communicating with, and even visiting in Australia, until Joan’s death in 2014. A seventy-year friendship.

Joan and Barbara were going to the same destination as part of a group of 40 Wrens heading to East Africa and so all were being briefed and kitted out in tropical uniform. This was during wartime and V2 bombs were still raining down on London. The seas were also patrolled by u boats

They travelled through the night by train, with no idea where they were going as the station signs along the way were removed for security. They eventually arrived at Gourock near Greenock in Scotland and boarded landing craft to be ferried out to the SS Volendam, a former liner taken over as a troop ship. After ten days they finally set sail and the first port-of-call was Malta and then on to Port Said in Egypt. The group then spent the next six weeks in Egypt in a transit camp and there was time for some sightseeing inside pitch-black pyramids when the candle blew out and riding on camels.

In early April 1945 they joined the SS Talma in Port Suez to finally reach their destination, Mombasa in Kenya. The conditions in their quarters were very basic but, unlike Britain, there was no rationing and they were able to send food parcels home. The tins of jam and canned peaches were very much appreciated. It was an idyllic period for Barbara and worlds away from war ravaged Britain. She was a 19 year old country girl, but by all accounts , the work was not arduous, and the wrens were outnumbered by the men. Hardly a day passed without the girls going on dates to dances or the pictures, as well as sailing, swimming and tennis.

On her return, she was again billeted in the same Southsea hotel to go through the de-mob process. Finally after 18 months away she was able to rejoin her parents who were now living in Garthorpe, Leicestershire. Rehabilitation courses helped her to brush up on her secretarial skills which led to a job opportunity in Melton Mowbray. Unfortunately, on her first day, Barbara suffered a serious accident while riding her bike which led to hospital,a broken jaw and dental treatment. This was December 1946 and her recuperation lasted into the early part of 1947 when the UK was experiencing one of the worst winters on record, lasting until March.

Both she and Marjorie became restless and dissatisfied with their jobs and decided to rejoin the Wrens. After a period of retraining they became Marine Wrens based at Chatham and that is where Barbara met Donald and Marjorie met Tom, their future husbands.

Barbara and Donald married on the 23 December 1949 at Abbots Bromley Church Staffordshire, her parents having moved to Priory Farm Blithbury  After the honeymoon Barbara returned to HMS Mercury in January 1950 for her leaving routine and was once again in Southsea. 

She leaves behind her two daughters Anne and Yvonne, Grandchildren Fiona, Catherine, Ellen and Jeremy, Great Grandchildren Isla , Heather and Maisie.

John Fagan Son-in-Law