Themes
Camaraderie Stories
Valerie Bain worked overseas as a Bomb Range Marker during World War Two. She recalls some aspects of her social life in Sri Lanka.
'As there were some 4000 men at Katukurunda [in Sri Lanka], we had a fairly active social life. There was a party nearly every night at the local Planters Club organised by different departments and every Wren received a written invitation to each of these. There was a very nice Rest House in Kalutara where we could go for a meal and lots of lovely beaches for swimming etc. We were not allowed to go out of the camp without a male escort who had to sign a book saying where he was taking his girl friend etc. In Colombo, this only applied at night but in the jungle, you couldn't go out at anytime on your own unless a transport had been arranged for Wrens. We went on shopping trips to Colombo where we could buy lovely silks and shoes. There were several big European shops which sold all sorts of interesting things and everyone sent tea home.'
