Second World War
The Navy Ashore  - Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service

The Second World War saw close to 7,000 women in naval service. Founded in 1942, the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS), often called the "Wrens", performed a wide variety non-combatant roles ashore, both in Canada and abroad.

Forecastle

Pegi Nicol MacLeod's 1945 watercolour depicts a lounge at HMCS Carleton on a Sunday afternoon, likely after the end of the war.

Members of the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS) were accommodated in the barracks at Carleton, and this painting is one of a series capturing their experiences. Both Wrens and male sailors are present, relaxing and reading on chairs and sofas, or taking part in other activities like dancing (background, right). MacLeod's work captured the wartime experiences of both military and civilian women, including members of the WRCNS.

Forecastle
Painted by Pegi Nicol MacLeod in 1945
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
CWM 19710261-5768