Commandant Dame Edith Margaret Drummond, (4 September 1917 – 21 April 1987) was a senior British naval officer who served as Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) from 1964 to 1967.

Early life and education

Edith Margaret Drummond was born on 4 September 1917 in

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...

, Scotland to Professor Robert James Drummond and Marion ( Street) Drummond. She was educated at Park School, an all-girls private school in Glasgow, and studied at the University of Aberdeen, graduating with an undergraduate Master of Arts (MA Hons) degree in 1938.

Military career

In April 1941, Drummond joined the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) and served as a writer (equivalent in rank to able seaman). She was commissioned as a third officer (equivalent to

sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

) in October, with seniority from 25 September. She was promoted to second officer (equivalent to lieutenant) in October 1942, with seniority from 29 August 1942, and in early 1944 joined the

staff Staff may refer to: Pole * Staff, a weapon used in stick-fighting ** Quarterstaff, a European pole weapon * Staff of office, a pole that indicates a position * Staff (railway signalling), a token authorizing a locomotive driver to use a particula ...

of Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth. She was "responsible for the administration and paperwork relating to the command's role in operation Neptune": as such, she was the first woman to learn about the Normandy landings. In April 1944, she was made an

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad r ...

first officer (equivalent to lieutenant commander) with seniority from 5 April; this promotion was confirmed in August. After the Normandy landings, she was posted to India, where she worked as assistant secretary to its flag officer. Then, with promotion to superintendent (equivalent to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

), she joined the staff of Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Fleet. Having returned to the United Kingdom, Drummond undertook a number of leadership posting: she served as the officer in charge of HMS ''Dauntless'', the initial training establishment for the Women's Royal Naval Service, head of the WRNS

officer training A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...

course at Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and Superintendent (training and drafting). Drummond was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in the

1960 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1960 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the '' Lo ...

. She was deputy director of the WRNS and then, from June 1964 to 1967, Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service. As director, she was granted the rank commandant (equivalent to commodore). Drummond was appointed an Honorary Aide-de-Camp to Queen Elizabeth II on 4 June 1964, and a

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in the

1965 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1965 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the ''Lond ...

. She retired in 1967.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drummond, Margaret (naval officer) 1917 births 1987 deaths Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire People from Kilmarnock Royal Navy officers of World War II Women's Royal Naval Service officers