Margaret Moorcraft (nee Guscott) Leading Wren Armourer 1943-1946 – Died 30th July 2025

Margaret was born in Cardiff and after leaving Grammar School, spent a short time in the wholesale trade before joining the WRNS.  She volunteered at 17 and a half to be a Wren Radio Operator, and before she was 18 was told that she would be going to Mill Hill for training.  However, due to a dysentery outbreak this was first delayed, then changed completely: she was to go instead to Mill Meece for basic training 1943-44.  As there was no training being offered to Radio Operators, she filled her time in the office by helping to recruit Wren Air Mechanics.  By this time Margaret was so desperate to begin her career she accepted that if she couldn’t be a Radio Operator she would be an Air Mechanic and had to choose a category from Airframes, Air Electrics, Engines & Armourers.  She chose the latter which involved a three month training period which included stripping guns and putting fuses in bombs.

Her work uniform was bell bottoms, a blue shirt, navy blue overalls and a navy blue kerchief.  Her smart uniform (No:1’s) was a navy skirt suit, white shirt and a black hat with a chin strap.

  Her first draft after training was to RNAS Fearn in Scotland in 1944, where it was freezing cold day & night.  The Armourers worked outside on aircraft (Barracudas) and messed in Nissen huts which had 12 to 14 double bunks.  The ablution block for Wrens was outside and there was hardly ever any hot water.  The food was terrible.  The Wrens were always cold and used their greatcoat as an extra blanket.  The only good memory Margaret has was of taking part in a mixed concert party which went around the local villages, singing & dancing.  Margaret had just one civvy dress for the performances plus her tap-dancing shoes!  Margaret, at only 5ft 1in, decided to have a smart skirt uniform made to measure for herself as she was so fed up with the ill fitting original issued one.  She saved up and when on leave in Cardiff had her local tailor make up a uniform that fitted!!

It was a big event when the squadron had to move to a safer base which meant that all the aircraft and personnel (including the Wrens) were relocated to HMS Urley on the Isle of Man.  A very welcome change and Margaret loved her time there.  She had some flying experiences when she was testing equipment as on one occasion she was taken up with a pilot who asked her to check if the under carriage had come down – it hadn’t!!  She informed him and they did another two circuits before releasing what had made it stuck and landed at Ronaldsway.

On promotion to Leading Wren, Margaret supervised RN ratings, who although junior to her received more pay!  Towards the end of the War she was drafted to RNAS Crail, Scotland and in 1946 was given her career options.  She couldn’t stay in the WRNS as an Armourer because the returning RN personnel would be taking up the posts.  So, she could either be demobbed or stay on and retrain as a Steward.  She reluctantly decided to leave the Wrens and subsequently married an old school friend who spent his career with the Merchant Navy.  When he was promoted to Captain she occasionally accompanied him on some trips which she says was her “sea time”.  She believes that the WRNS training stood her in good stead for looking after her family whilst her husband was at sea.

Margaret made a considerable contribution to “The History of the Royal Navy” a BBC radio 4 series, introduced by Admiral Lord West and the relevant episode is on BBC radio 4 iplayer Wed 11 June 2014.

Celia Saywell – Wren Magazine October 2014