Myfanwy Janet Purves-Smith (Mrs)

Second Subaltern Myfanwy "Janet" Purves-Smith
1918 - 14 Jul 2017
Profile Picture
Profile picture
Caption & credit
Rappoport Rusper Parish News
Biography

One of two Trevaskis sisters serving in Auxiliary Units Special Duties, they also knew Lynette Hough before the war, who joined them as well. In the Trevaskis family, members were always known by their second name, so she was Janey to her colleagues. Their father, Reverend Hugh Trevaskis, was Rector of Rusper, Sussex and Beatrice Temple visited them there regularly. There is a Trevaskis window in the church at Rusper.

She was recruited by Lady Claude-Hamilton of Rusper, Sussex. She promised all the girls a commission to stop Army officers asking questions and stumbling on the Radio Network. Janey went to Bachelors Hall, Hundon in Suffolk with her sister to do voice tests and met Major Hills. She passed the voice tests and was sent to Halstead for 6 weeks training as an "other ranker" then to OCTU (Officer cadet training unit) at Craigmillar just outside Edinburgh and did a 9 week course.

She was billeted in a private house in Alnwick on arrival in Jan 1943 and later moved with the Scout section and the other station operators to Doxford Hall north of Alnwick.

In 1994 she was interviewed for Imperial War Museum.

Postings
Unit or location Role Posted from until
Shipley Instation Operator 15 Jan 1942 25 Jan 1943
Alnwick Instation Operator 26 Jan 1943 20 Jul 1944
Wendover Control Operator Sept 1943 20 Jul 1944
Regiment
The Auxiliary Territorial Service
Military number
225114
Commissioned or Enlisted
15 Jan 1942
Career

Beatrie Temple visited her at West Grinstead (Shipley) on 25 Feb 1942, 21 Apr 1942, 20 May 1942 and 9 Sep 1942,
She moved to Alnwick from 26 Jan 1943.
At Wednover from 1 Sept 1943.

Address
The Rectory, Rusper, Sussex
Other information

Born Myfanwy Janet Trevaskis in India (Simla). She married Gavin Purves-Smith in 1937, post war divorced him and married Willie Wise.