Maritime Charity Celebrates 101-Year-Old Wren On International Women’s Day
Maritime charity, The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, marks International Women’s Day by celebrating the remarkable story of Anne Macleod-Carey, a centenarian resident and former Wren whose wartime service demonstrates the courage and determination women showed during the Second World War.
Anne is now a resident at Belvedere House, Royal Alfred’s specialist care home in Banstead, Surrey, where she continues to inspire staff and fellow residents with her stories of wartime service. “At Belvedere House, I’m surrounded by people who understand the maritime life,” Anne says. “It’s wonderful to share stories and be part of this community.”
Born in 1924, Anne was just 19 years old when, in 1943, she travelled from her home in Kingswood, Surrey, to Queen Anne’s Mansions in London, to enlist. She chose the Wrens for their distinctive blue uniform over the khaki of the ATS.
Following rigorous training in Morse code, semaphore, and flag signals in Manchester, Anne was posted to Aberdeen as Ordinary Wren Stevenson. She served as a visual signaller at a port war signal station – a crucial role in coordinating naval operations and ensuring the safe passage of vessels during the Battle of the Atlantic.
She cherished the strong female friendships she formed with the four Wrens she served alongside. Her inseparable friendship with her closest friend remained throughout their lives and they supported each other through wartime sadness and heartbreak. “We laughed our way through the most awful sadnesses somehow,” Anne reflects on her service. “Quite a lot of the time was terribly sad.”
Among her many experiences, one stands out as truly extraordinary. While stationed at Rosyth in Scotland, Anne became the only woman, and certainly the only Wren, ever invited aboard Hitler’s yacht after allied forces captured it. An American officer invited her to dinner aboard the vessel.
“The captain said, ‘This is quite an occasion because you realise, you’re the first woman to come on Hitler’s yacht,’” Anne remembers. “He insisted I take a souvenir – half a dozen of Hitler’s wine glasses stamped with the keys of Hamburg”
Anne’s story embodies how thousands of women broke barriers during the Second World War, took on roles previously closed to them, and proved their capabilities during the most challenging circumstances. Over 100,000 women served in the WRNS during the war, undertaking more than 200 different roles from codebreaking to engineering.
The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society has supported seafarers and their loved ones since 1865 and regularly celebrates the remarkable histories of its residents, preserving their stories for future generations. The organisation provides specialist maritime-focused care while honouring the service and sacrifice of those who served at sea and in naval support roles
“Anne’s determination, shown by her request for boarding school at seven and solo trip to London to enlist, embodies the spirit we honour on International Women’s Day,” said MA Rcds David Dominy, CEO at the Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society. “Her service, and that of all the Wrens, played a vital role in the war effort, and we are honoured to share her remarkable story.”
