An appeal has been launched to trace former members of the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) in South Devon following the disappearance of a significant piece of naval history.

Known as the Dauntless Ledgers, the large volumes recorded details of every trainee who passed through HMS Dauntless – the training establishment based at Burghfield, near Reading – including names, service numbers, and branch details.

The ledgers were last seen in the 1990s when they were moved between storage facilities at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall. It has been suggested they may have been loaned to the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton for the WRNS centenary in 2017. However, the museum has confirmed it does not have them.

Despite extensive searches at HMS Raleigh, there has been no trace of the ledgers, and there are now concerns they may have been lost or inadvertently destroyed.

The Ministry of Defence estimates that around 33,000 women trained at HMS Dauntless during its operation. Former WRNS members, or their families, are now being asked to come forward to help piece together this history digitally.

A spokesperson said: “Trying to find 33,000 people is a tall order – we need all the help we can get.”

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Article published in the Torbay Weekly  33,000 names lost: appeal launched after WRNS records vanish – Torbay Today