Stephen Nunn uncovers Maldon's Girls Training Corps

Known as the 'GTC' for short, it was formed in 1941 to develop girls, aged between 14 and 20, to serve their local community for the good of the war effort – hence their motto: “To Serve and Train for Service.”

Many of those girls went on to join the ATS, or Auxiliary Territorial Service – the adult women’s branch of the Army – and time in the GTC gave them an excellent grounding.

Among other things, they learnt Morse code, aircraft recognition, navigation and marksmanship, as well as attending regular physical fitness classes.

In practical terms they assisted air raid wardens and helped out in local hospitals.

Within a year of formation, more than 120,000 girls had joined the corps.

Local units (or companies) sprang up across the country – including in Maldon.

In the July 1942 edition of the Maldonian (the Maldon Grammar School magazine), a report appeared stating that the Maldon GTC (number 349 Company) had been formed.

As well as the previously mentioned activities, according to the report, the girls were actively engaged in “First Aid, despatch carrying, cookery, mechanics and shorthand-typewriting classes”.

As far as shooting was concerned, the Maldon Ladies Rifle Club took them under their wing and, as a result, some of them became crack shots.

The much-coveted corps badge (Image: Stephen Nunn)

Once a member had attended for six weeks, she was given the much-coveted corps badge to put on her navy-blue forage cap.

In common with all the other units in this country (and despite reliance on clothing coupons), the Maldon girls had to provide their own caps, along with the rest of their uniform - consisting of a navy-blue skirt, white blouse with navy-blue tie and black shoes.

In the early stages, the Maldon Grammar School’s male Cadet NCOs provided training, but it was hoped this would cease once the unit had promoted its own NCOs.

Maldon GTC met at the Drill Hall in Tenterfield Road and, as well as its early links with the grammar school, its main association was with what was then the Girls Secondary School (from 1944, the Girls Secondary Modern) in Wantz Road. In fact, the headmistress, Miss Samuel, was the corps commandant and she was assisted by other teachers, including Miss Mercia Ruth Langstone (1919-2003) and Miss Betty Irene Castel (1914-1998).

I knew that my late-aunt, Olive (née Lavender) was one of the cadets, but I only recently found out that my friend, Molly Polden, was another.

Molly recently told me about her time with the Maldon Corps and kindly gave me three contemporary photographs.

One is of the officers, another shows two of the officers with seven of the cadets (probably those appointed as NCOs), but the best one of all is of the complete line-up.

I asked Molly if, after all these years, she could name any of them. She is not, personally, in it, so it must pre-date her service (I suspect it was taken in 1943).

However, her sister, Betty is in the shot (back row, far right). Molly also spotted Sheila Humphries of 10 Cross Road (back row, fourth from the left).

Next to Sheila are the officers; Miss Castel, followed by Miss Langstone and Miss Samuel In the middle row are (second from the left) Doreen Cooper, of 85 Holloway Road, my aunt, Olive Lavender, then of 22 Church Street (fifth from the left), Doreen Stone of the Old Ship Inn, Heybridge Basin (sixth), Kathleen Glasgow, the school caretaker’s daughter (seventh from the left), and Jean Feller of 2 Church Street (eighth).

In the front row are Mary Woodcraft, of Heybridge Basin, (first from the left), Marjorie Read of 13 Fullbridge (second), Pamela Allwright, an evacuee staying with the Polden family at Heybridge Basin (third), Miss Gladys (fourth) and Audrey Ewers of Heybridge (sixth).

Regrettably, they are currently the only identifiable sitters, but after all these years that’s not bad.

I ran the names by my mother and she vaguely knew some of them, but it was a bit before her time and she attended the grammar school.

I also cross-checked them with the 1939 England and Wales Register – a census taken due to the onset of war, for the purposes of producing national identity cards. Going through some family papers, much to my surprise, I then found a note on Essex Education Committee headed paper and dated October 4, 1944.

It was amongst my late-aunt’s effects and it is signed by the officers and cadets who were in the Maldon Corps at that time. It’s such a shame that each name doesn’t have its own photo!

With the ending of the war in 1945, initial plans were to disband the GTC.

However, it continued to be such a popular movement, that it lasted until it was eventually amalgamated into the GVC (the Girls Venture Corps) in 1964.

The note preserved among family papers (Image: Stephen Nunn)

As an ATC Cadet, I have fond memories of joint meetings with members of the GVC.

From 1983, girls were finally accepted into both the ATC and the ACF (the Army Cadet Force).

As a result, it was decided that the continuing GVC would focus on air activities and so, in 1987, it was re-named the Girls Venture Corps Air Cadets and is still going strong today.

The latest members of the GVCAC are, in effect, the direct descendants of the wartime GTC.

As such, they carry a special baton of continuity that remembers the work of girls of their age who did their bit on the Home Front.

We should never forget that wartime contribution here in Maldon and I am so pleased that Molly had the foresight to preserve the picture.

Do you recognise anyone? If you do, why not drop me a line?