The Women’s Section of the Croxley Green Royal British Legion came together on Thursday, June 6, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and remember two local veterans.
Guests tucked into a delicious lunch and reminisced over the vintage cutlery on display at the nostalgia table. Members of the group also heard the stories of two former Croxley Royal British Legion members, Edna and Joan.
According to her family, Edna was a secretary at a factory in Scammells Way, Watford, and signed up with the Auxiliary Territorial Service in April 1943. She joined the transport service and travelled to cities across the country.
Edna could vividly remember retrieving her car from her garage the morning after D-Day. Some of the other women had opened their windows and shouted out in glee that the troops had landed.
Attendees also learned about veteran Joan Henning. In the build-up to D-Day, Joan was working as a base engineer’s secretary at Calshot. She was reportedly surprised to find on D-Day itself that the Solent harbour – usually full of craft – had been emptied of all vessels.
After D-Day, the camp at which Joan was stationed closed down and everyone was redrafted. Many were in tears as they did not want to leave. Joan managed to obtain a discharge to look after her husband, who had been injured in a parachute drop.
To find out more about Croxley Royal British Legion Women’s Section, visit www.facebook.com/rblwscg
For more information about Croxley’s D-Day veterans, see www.croxleygreenhistory.co.uk
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