Paddy Wall

1926 – 2021

Paddy Wall (née O’Brien) former Secretary of the AOW and a Vice President.

I am sad to announce the passing of our mother Patricia Wall, she passed on April 15 2021.
She was the National Secretary of the Association of Wrens based in Chesham Street, London for a number of years and has been a Vice President for many a year. She continued to be an active member of the Bromley branch, Kent up until 2018.
She spoke very fondly if her time serving in the Wrens and loved being the Secretary as it reconnected her with the service.
Patrick Wall

When Paddy Wall took over from Frances Mason as the General Secretary of the Association in the 1980s, I was then living in Furse House, the WRNS quarters in London. I had met Paddy at Association meetings but did not know her well. However, I used to go and help pack the Wren magazine, as all the mail sacks had to be carried up the narrow stone steps from the basement office in Chesham Street to the pavement for the GPO to collect. I was also for a short time Chairman of fund raising so needed to check on the storage of the goods also in the basement office. The WRNS Benevolent Trust were also in the adjoining office, and I always enjoyed my visits to the office as generally someone was retelling an amusing story from their time in the WRNS when we had a coffee break. Paddy was good at telling a story from her time in the WRNS. She was always cheerful, impeccably dressed and looking as though she had stepped out of a “vogue” catalogue. Paddy was a long time member of Bromley Branch, and I had the pleasure of staying with her when I visited Bromley as the National Chairman. Paddy always continued her support of the Association at AGMs and reunions after her retirement and I count the short time I really knew her as very special and so pleased to have those memories of her.
Ellie Patrick

Paddy was Association Secretary until I arrived and she was able to retire in 1991. I joined the London Office in Chesham Street in July where Paddy took me under her capable wing, and gave me the introduction to the very complex and varied aspects of the job with undying patience. In 1989 the computer had arrived in the office and as Paddy was the only person in the office, she had to learn all about computers and in conjunction with the office requirements all by herself. If that wasn’t enough, she then had to teach me the system too. The computer held the records for 10,000 members so was a very important part.
Apart from the work in the office, at that time, there were a lot of meetings that were held around London. Again Paddy was invaluable in showing me where to go and even how to get around London. She was always so kind and understanding and I was so grateful for her knowledge and friendship. I was so fortunate to have her as a mentor which led me on to a very happy 17 years in the position of Secretary.
Thank you Paddy
Jane Hardie

Served: 1945-1953