Veteran Wren & Chevalier Marie Scott

Congratulations to our Veteran Wren Marie Scott, a member of Kingston-on-Thames Branch, who has been recognised by the French Government for her service in the combined WRNS, WAAF and ATS Switchboard Operators’ team who contributed to Operation Overlord from the nerve centre of SHAEF at Fort Southwick. Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings (Operation Neptune, commonly known as D-Day).

Marie received notification of her award Chevalier in the Ordre Nationale de la Legion d’Honneur on 21st January and is hoping to go to Normandy for the official presentation of her very special, and beautifully designed medal. 

Peviously – on the 4th November 2017 Marie was the senior veteran of the group of Association members who were selected to take part in the two performances of 100 Women at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the RBL Festival of Remembrance. She is pictured during the performance taken from the BBC TV broadcast.

I am a member of the Kingston-upon-Thames Branch and was on duty on D-Day at Fort Southwick (SHAEF). My category was Switchboard Operator but, if memory serves me correctly, I was operating a machine that was connected to the landing forces in France. To this day, I am not sure what this apparatus was and, if it could be investigated, we might be able to come up with an answer! I certainly remember hearing gun fire on the machine. 

.An exerpt from The Wren magazine (June 2013) on memories of D Day from Marie reads as follows: 

 The sight of the great fleet of ships assembled at Portsmouth was awe-inspiring.

Marie Scott (Garcia) GPO trained Wren Sw/Op 1944-46. HMS MERCURY & LARGS.