Women’s Royal Naval Service (WW2)
Died 23rd November 1940
Aged 19 Years Old
On the 23rd November 1940, German planes made a heavy bombing raid over Portsmouth Harbour. The Women’s Royal Naval Service used the building which is now the Glen Heathers Nursing Home in Lee-on-the-Solent as accommodation for personnel based at HMS Daedalus. A stray anti-aircraft shell fired from the ground in Gosport penetrated the roof and exploded in the dining room, killing 10 female personnel including the 8 buried here. Also buried with Beryl are:
Leading Wren Nellie Gregory, Women’s Royal Naval Service. 32 years old. E.55.13
Wren Rosa May Armstrong, WRNS. 36 years old. E.55.11
Wren Vera Margaret Cowle, WRNS. E.55.17
Wren Mona Violet Black, WRNS. 23 years old. E.55.16
Leading Wren Hilda Pearson. WRNS. 26 years old. E.55.15
Wren Norah Kathleen Reynolds WRNS. 23 years old. E.55.14
Wren Dorothy Margaret Wardell. WRNS. 22 years old. E.55.12
There are no graves here for women who were killed in World War 1. There was of course no bombing during World War 1, nevertheless women died in the line of duty at Haslar. A plaque in the Hospital grounds records the death of 14 nursing sisters and nurses serving in the Hospital and in fields of conflict (all of them young and not yet married):
Olive Rowlett
Grace Ainsworth
Caroline Edwards
Eliza Elvens
Mabel Grigson
Annette Prevost
Jennette Robbins
Anne Wilson
Margaret Baron
Evelyn Elliston
Margaret Evans
Mildred Feeney
Anstie Harvey
Bridget Lambarde