In the summer of 1944 Kathleen Oates - a Wren assigned to the Women's Royal Naval Service during the Second World War - was transferred to the Isle of Man. During her time on the island, she wrote dozens of letters to home which provide a unique commentary on the operations at Ronaldsway and what life was like on the Isle of Man 80 years ago. Her daughter, CHRISTINE SMITH, pores through her mother’s letters as part of a series of columns based on Kathleen Oates’s writing...

80 years ago this week, Kathleen Oates had no special news when writing home; it was a letter full of daily routine. She wrote, ‘sitting in the Rec – a Nissen hut which they’ve decorated with a few armchairs, piano and tables etc. This afternoon, I shall go to Ballasalla YWCA where it’s cosier’.

She was pleased that a new arrival had a reaction very similar to hers when she first arrived on the Isle of Man. ‘There’s a new girl in the cabin who has just come over from Belfast. She’s absolutely fed up with this place, as there is nothing to do. It’s good to meet someone else who grumbles’. Doubtless remembering a recent letter from an ex-colleague who had been posted from Liverpool to a completely remote part of Scotland, she added, ‘these FAA [Fleet Air Arm] girls don’t understand at all because they have been used to far more isolated spots. This seems almost to perfection to them’.

By now, exactly three months since she had come to Ronaldsway, Kathleen had found ways to enjoy her free time on the island, and was much more appreciative of what it offered. ‘Thursday [November 30], I was off duty at 12:30 and I’ve been for a walk this afternoon: there was a good wind blowing from the sea and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I followed the river as far as I could until it became too muddy and I had to turn back. I’m really very lucky with my watches.’

And of course, having made firm friends made a huge difference. The day before, November 29, Kathleen used her ‘Make Do and Mend’ half day (which she actually called ‘make and mend’ in her letters, a Navy abbreviation still in use decades later) to enjoy some free time. ‘I went down to Castletown camp, took my sewing and sat with the two Janes. We went into Castletown for tea and then in the evening went to the flicks. They are running transports from Castletown to Ballasalla in the evening at 10:15, so it makes going out much easier, as previously it was a case of walking or cycling back to Ballasalla. I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon off – I’m now on the side seams of the night dress.’ – This was thanks to one of the Janes being a competent seamstress.

Kathleen described a flight taken by Cynthia, the other plotter who did the same work as her. ‘She went up for the first time yesterday, on a torpedo attack exercise. She enjoyed it but didn’t want to repeat the experiment immediately. She ought to have done some straight flying for the first flip. Several of the observers have been sick in the last few days – it sounds odd to hear them say, “it’s pretty rough up today “. - I’m not looking forward to my next crossing if this weather keeps up!’

She would have to negotiate with Cynthia as to who had which dates off at Christmas. ‘The Christmas leave will be from December 16 to December 28, I believe. I’ve still to argue it out with Cynthia – I expect we’ll have to toss for Christmas. I’m not so keen on staying now that the two Janes are down at Castletown because all the parties etc. will be separate. I dare say they’ll be quite a lot doing – carol singing, dances and parties for the children of the town, I believe.’

Sister Dorothy had recently been for a successful job interview, which prompted reflections on recruitment in the Forces: ‘I was surprised to hear that all the Forces are closed. I wonder if that means to ‘conscripts’ only, because one of the girls who was in Sick Bay had a sister who was just joining the WRNS & starting on a 12 months’ Radio Mech course. The Women’s Technical Register might have had possibilities – but I suspect you’ve settled down again now.’ It was never far from Kathleen’s mind that a different work future awaited her after the Wrens, prompting her to comment, ‘I popped in to see the education officer today to enquire about correspondence courses.

A brief note on December 1 complained that just after she had spent an evening doing all her darning, a compulsory ‘Make and Mend’ was imposed.

She signed off with ‘night flying this evening’.