‘Stalwart’ Ruth Parkinson W.R.E.N.
From Kirk Mill to the First Lady!
Eleanor Roosevelts visit to Liverpool November 8th 1942
H.J.Berry’s ‘Stalwart’ Ruth Parkinson
KirkMill.org.uk
Community heritage hub
Community heritage hub
From Kirk Mill to the First Lady!
Eleanor Roosevelts visit to Liverpool November 8th 1942
H.J.Berry’s ‘Stalwart’ Ruth Parkinson
We’ve been thinking about Ruth Parkinson and her special day with Mrs Roosevelt. A bit of on-line exploration revealed it was Nov 8th 1942 in Liverpool.
http://www.americansc.org.uk/Online/Eleanor.htm
It seems Mrs Roosevelt was keen to find out how women in the UK were contributing to the war effort and wanted to encourage US women to do the same.
“I have seen that the women are working side by side with men in the military forces, in industrial jobs and in addition they are doing countless numbers of jobs in civilian defence as volunteers with the Women’s Voluntary Services. They work as well in many of the long established organisations like the Red Cross, the Y’s, the Women’s Institutes, which in the rural areas make the wheels go round…. “
Therefore some time with our WRENs in their Royal Navy Western Command HQ at Liverpool would give Mrs Roosevelt food for thought.
Ruth Parkinson, having been raised with several brothers, then working for Berrys and then becoming a despatch rider, must have been a very able young lady. Not surprising she was one of the 3 WRENs selected as escort.