Sheila James Harrington (Miss)

Second Subaltern Sheila James Harrington
25 Oct 1920 - 15 Dec 2019
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Biography

Sheila Harrington, later Lady Trevaskis, was the daughter of a Pontypool GP, Colonel Frank Harrington, a former Indian Army Medical Officer. She attended a Catholic School in Newcastle upon Tyne. She worked for the BBC in Bristol as a secretary before being recruited to Auxiliary Units.

Postings
Unit or location Role Posted from until
Alnwick Instation Operator 28 Sep 1943 20 Jul 1944
Education

La Sagesse School, Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne

National ID
GDTP 191/2
Regiment
The Auxiliary Territorial Service
Military number
294923
Commissioned or Enlisted
18 Sep 1943
Occupation

Secretary

Career

Interviewed by Beatrice Temple on 21 Jul 1943 at Harrods.

Reported to Coleshill on 27 Sep 1943

Served initially at Alnwick. During an air raid she was blown off her bicyle by a bomb blast and broke her arm.

She left the ATS on 15 Dec 1944, having applied to resign her commission on 25 Oct 1944, shortly after the Special Duties Branch was stood down.

Address
1939 The Retreat, Rothbury, Northumberland
Other information

She was billeted at Doxford Hall.

On 25 Aug 1945 she married Lord Trevaskis, a noted diplomat, to become Lady Trevaskis. In December 1963, while accompanying her husband, as High Commissioner in Aden, they were attacked with a grenade. Others died, though Lord and Lady Trevakis survived, a bar to the George Medal being awarded to his assistant, George Henderson, who had thrown himself across the Commissioner to protect him, though he died subsequently from his injuries.

She is believed to have been the last of the ATS Special Duties Operators to die in 2019.

Other pictures
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Caption & credit
Sheila Harrington
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Caption & credit
Shelia Harrington. Letter of thanks
References