A HELENSBURGH woman who served as a 'Wren' during the Second World War says she'll be remembering, but not celebrating, on the 75th anniversary of VE Day on Friday.

Jean Holland, 96, was just 20 years old when she became a member of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), the female branch of the Royal Navy, in 1944.

Jean dealt with accounts before leaving the service as a petty officer after 16 months – and though most of the planned events for the anniversary on May 8 have been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, she told the Advertiser she is pleased the date will still be marked.

"It's not so much a case of celebrating it," she told the Advertiser, "For me, we're more remembering it and the people involved.

"There'll not be many of us left soon who can say 'we were there', so that's why it's so important to mark this occasion, even 75 years on."

READ MORE: Ruth Wishart: 75th anniversary of VE Day is no time to resort to jingoism

Jean's home, in Waverley Court, will have flags and bunting up and a local delicatessen will deliver soup and sandwiches to the door, with residents encouraged to join in a sing-along in the afternoon.

While it's not quite what she had hoped to be doing on the 75th anniversary of VE Day, it will still bring back some pleasant memories.

She said: "When I joined the WRNS I went to Leeds, and from Leeds I went to London for training in colleges, and I ended up in Grimsby, where they sent out the minesweepers.

"I'd never really been away from home so when I arrived at Grimsby I went to the First Officer and asked for a compassionate post back to Scotland.

"And, help me God, after I was having a real ball down there – my social life was good and everything else – they posted me to Largs.

READ MORE: Sirens and searchlights at Faslane set to mark 75 years since VE Day

"Three-hundred Wrens, because of the blitz bombs and everything in London, were all posted up to Largs.

"That's where I ended up in 1945. I was only in 16 months, 18 months at the very most, and I worked on all the payments that were going to Burma and other places.

"We never saw any of the sailors or anything – it was all done by post.

"I was in Largs when I first heard the news that the war was over in Europe.

"I was just happy that it was all over and everything could get back to normal.

READ MORE: No public holiday in Argyll and Bute for VE Day's 75th anniversary

"I got married in 1946 and my husband was in the RAF in Burma. He was glad it was over because it saved him going to places like Japan."

Jean, whose father served in the Royal Navy during the First World War, is well-known in the Helensburgh area after moving to the town from Milngavie in 1976 and last year she was named Argyll and Bute's Volunteer of the Year.

She added: "I'm very disappointed that everything has been cancelled at the moment.

"I volunteer with The Tower [Digital Arts Centre] and they were going to do a 'Live from the Albert Hall' event for VE Day. I had 15 tickets booked, but of course, they're closed now too.

"That was to allow folk to join in the fun at the Albert Hall in London, but I'll fairly miss it."

READ MORE: Click here for all the latest news headlines from around Helensburgh and Lomond

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