WWII Women's Royal Naval Wrens Officer's Insignia Set

WWII Women's Royal Naval Wrens Officer's Insignia Set - Officer's Cap Badge (gold and silver bullion crown and anchor cord, gilt metal anchor, embroidered blue wreath, touches of red, green and blue embroidery in the base of the crown, inside of the crown is padded and covered in maroon felt, all on a black wool base, reinforced black cloth backer with maker's label inscribed "STEPHEN SIMPSON Avenham Rd Works, Preston", 78 mm x 86 mm); Rank Shoulder Board Pair (on stiff arched frames, three rows of embroidered blue rank striping, the top row in the form of a sideways square, sewn upon a black wool upper, 17 mm gilt buttons with a Royal Navy anchor insignia on both, reinforced black cloth backers, 53 mm x 114 mm each); and Association of Wrens Lapel Badge (bronze, maker marked "J.R. GAUNT LONDON" on the reverse, 22.2 mm x 29.7 mm, vertical pinback). Extremely fine.Footnote: The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) was formed in 1917 during the First World War. On October 10, 1918, nineteen-year-old Josephine Carr from Cork, became the first Wren to die on active service, when her ship, the RMS Leinster was torpedoed. By the end of the war, the WRNS had 5,500 members, 500 of them officers. In addition, about 2,000 members of the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) had previously served with the WRNS supporting the Royal Naval Air Service and were transferred upon the creation of the Royal Air Force. It was disbanded in 1919. The WRNS was revived in 1939 at the beginning of the Second World War, with an expanded list of allowable activities, including flying transport planes. At its peak in 1944, it had 75,000 people. During the war there were 100 deaths. One of the slogans used in recruiting posters was "Join the Wrens—free a man for the fleet." It remained in existence after the war and was finally integrated into the regular Royal Navy in 1993.