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Hello,
Thank you to everyone who has sent me information re HMS Odyssey.Needless to
say this has made me even more curious about my Father,s war especially in Holland
Margaret..
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Collingwood Hotel at Ilfracombe was renamed HMS Odyssey in 1943, but what went on there is still classified. It was probably connected with D-Day.
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As Wrens, until recently, did not go to sea this would be a shore based unit. The navy called there shore based camps HMS whatever.
My husband, when in the RAF, had to go on a civilian course and the nearest military base was a navy camp called an HMS and it was run like a ship. He was told he couldn't leave camp the first morning when he and the other RAF men went to the go off to their course. He was told the liberty boat wasn't there so no one could leave - he pulled rank and informed them that they were not navy and they had an appointment elsewhere and left. :-D He later sorted it out so they could come and go as they needed.
OH has found this about Odyssey - it was hush hush and not a proper shore based establishment, this is an excerpt from someone trying to find out about Odyssey
"I have now been to the National Archive at Kew to pull both Cmdr Ashton's and Lt Cmdr Maude's service records.
In relation to Ashton, it turns out that he was an officer with Combined Op's but was an expert in sabotage demolition. His record shows that during the time of D-Day and there after he was merely under the control of "HMS Odyssey" (ring any bells?) No locations or anything else.
I have tried to pull Lt Cmdr Maude's records, but the page containing 1944 is still classified as best as we can find out.
And my last try was to see what I could find out about HMS Odyssey. All I can find out at the moment is that was the name given to a hotel in Devon acting as HQ for Combined Ops and the record held by NRO at Kew is still classified regarding the orders given by this HQ".
The hotel may have been the Collingwood at Ilfracombe from other bits of info OH looked at.
OH says he's found several references to Odyssey and it's hush hush work during WW2 and DDay on Google.
Hope this helps
:-)
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Doesn't mention names- but I thought the article was interesting in highlighting the expectations of women at that time:
Bellshill Speaker - Friday 06 July 1945
HOMES FOR HUSBANDS SAY MARRIED WRENS. But They Find It Sad Leave Service.
Four and a half years ago she joined the Women's Royal Naval Service to free a man for the Fleet; now she has said good-bye to her Service war job and left to make a home for her engineer husband. A trim little figure In Petty Officer's uniform, she was the first Wren to demobilised from HMS Odyssey. With two other Wrens, our Petty Officer, an officer’s steward, began her last day in the WRNS by handing in her kit to the Unit Officer.
With respirator and tin-hat each Wren gave In one suit, a greatcoat, one raincoat, and pair shoes. If a Wren wished she could retain her raincoat, but thirty shillings would have been deducted from her civilian clothing money grant of £l2 10s.
The second Wren on the list to leave HMS Odyssey was also going to begin house-keeping for her civilian engineer husband. She had been in the Service three years and expressed regret over her departure from the Navy. A writer in the records department at HMS Odyssey for the past year, this Leading Wren, who received her training at Mill Hill Training Depot, has been based at HMS Mantis, a coastal base force. She missed port life when first I based in London and was full of admiration for coastal forces men with whom she had worked.
The last of the trio had been In the Service only just over year. HMS Odyssey was her first ship after preparation at the Writers' Training College. Her husband, who is serving with the R A F, in Ceylon, will be glad to know that his wife is now a civilian, endeavouring to have their home ready on his return.
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Hello Kath,
Thanks for your help. I will let you know how I get on.
Margaret.
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You could send for his service record. Look here to see how to apply for them:-
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records
Kath. x
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Hello ,
Can anyone give me any information Odyssey ? The reason I ask is that this
names appears on some papers belonging to my Father who in the Royal Marines
during the second world war.I have looked and even though the name comes up there
does not seem to be many details. I would be grateful for any leads that will help in
my search for his time in the marines.
Thanks Margaret
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