Second World War
The Navy Ashore  - Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service

The Second World War saw close to 7,000 women in naval service. Founded in 1942, the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS), often called the "Wrens", performed a wide variety non-combatant roles ashore, both in Canada and abroad.

WRCNS Acceptance Letter to Eleanor McCallum

This letter to Eleanor McCallum informs her that she has passed the medical examination necessary for entry to the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS).

McCallum was among the first women to join the WRCNS, and preserved this letter as part of a scrapbook recording her career with the navy. The letter is signed by Joan Carpenter, one of the officers from Britain's Women's Royal Naval Service who came to Canada to help promote and establish a Canadian naval service for women.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19920141-011_p4