Dame Jocelyn May Woollcombe, (9 May 1898 – 30 January 1986) was Director of the

Women's Royal Naval Service The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS; popularly and officially known as the Wrens) was the women's branch of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. First formed in 1917 for the First World War, it was disbanded in 1919, then revived in 1939 at the ...

(WRNS) from 1946 to 1950. She joined the WRNS as a

chief officer A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship ...

in August 1939 and was promoted superintendent on 14 May 1940.

Honours

She was appointed

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 ...

(CBE) in 1944 and

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 ...

(DBE) in 1950.

Post-war

* Hon. ADC to HM, the King – 1949 * General Secretary, British Council for Aid to Refugees (Hungarian Section) – 1957–1958 * Governor, The Sister Trust – 1956–1965 * Governor WRNS Benevolent Trust – 1942–1967 * President, Association of Wrens – 1959–1981

Sources

*Stark, Suzanne. ''Female tars: Women aboard ship in the age of sail''; Naval Inst. Press:

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

(1996); /LCCN#95046459.

External links

Oxford University record #101060971Portrait at NPG
1898 births 1986 deaths Royal Navy officers of World War II Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Women's Royal Naval Service officers British women in World War II Place of birth missing Place of death missing {{UK-navy-bio-stub