Woman's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) uniform

Simpson & Suter

Summary

Woman's Royal Naval Service uniform. Jacket : Navy blue twilled wool. Lined with cream twilled cotton. Double breasted. CF opening, fastening with four pairs of gilt buttons with raised anchor design. V neck with collar and revers. Pocket lined with white cotton at waist on each side. Another pocket at left bust. Medal ribbon above bust pocket. Long sleeves. Two lines of blue braid at wrist. Slit pocket inside left front lining. Skirt : Navy blue twilled wool. Fastening to left of front with press studs concealed under flap. Similar flap on right side of front, concealing slit pocket lined with black cotton. Hem lined with black cotton. Jacket (tropical) : White twilled cotton. Double breasted, fastening with four pairs of gilt buttons with raised design of crown and anchor, to be attached on wrong side with clips. V neck with turndown collar and revers. Slit pocket lined with white cotton below waist on each side. Long sleeves. Skirt (tropical) : White twilled cotton. Slightly flared at back. Inner waistband fastening with hooks and eyes at left, press studs on skirt below. Slit pocket lined with white cotton in right side seam below waist. Coat : Navy twilled woollen cloth. Lined with black cotton striped with white. Double breasted. Fastening with four pairs of gilt metal buttons with raised anchor design. V neck with collar and revers. Revers fastening with two more pairs of buttons to form high neck. Pocket lined with black cotton at waist on each side with rectangular flap. Belt at waist fastening with button each end. Long sleeves. 2 Hats : Black fur felt and navy blue twilled wool. Worn by Sybil W Aspinall. Joined WRNS October 1918 and served until October 1919. Rank on leaving was Deputy Principal. Worked as an administrator in Admiralty House, London. Medal is the ribbon of British War Medal. Tropical overseas kit issued in 1919 but expedition was then cancelled.

Display Label

This suit of navy blue twilled wool suiting with its tricorne hat of velour was made by the Naval tailors Simpson and Suter of Portsmouth and London. It was worn by Sybil W Aspinall, who joined the WRNS in October 1918 and served until October 1919. Her rank was Assistant Principal (women were not allowed the men's Naval ranks), and she worked as an administrator in Admiralty House, London. She was awarded the British War Medal. The Women's Royal Naval Service was not formed until early 1918, and only after much pressure and lobbying by women of influence. There were two branches, the Mobile, whose members could be sent on duty anywhere in Britain, and the Immobile, women who lived at home and worked locally, usually in London or at the Naval bases in Portsmouth and Devonport. Only women who had a male relative in the Navy were eligible to enlist. Wrens could be clerks, signallers, cooks, engineers, electricians, gardeners and pigeon women (looking after carrier pigeons). They could do almost everything that the men could, except go to sea.