Eighty years ago this week, Kathleen Oates spent her last few days as a Wren on the Isle of Man. Her diary records how she left and how she felt afterwards.

On Saturday, January 5, she completed her ‘demobbing routine by a visit to Pay Office, Third Officer and First Officer.’. Once free, she shopped at Taggarts in Castletown: ‘they were awfully good and let me have a pair of fully fashioned stockings. I’ve left some chits there to be credited and they’ve promised to send my stockings on.’. This was a bit of a coup as fully fashioned stockings (which shaped the leg and had a seam up the back) were scarce as wartime production of nylon shifted to military needs.

The business of shopping over, Kathleen then visited Scarlett Rocks. ‘The tide was high, beating up the rocks and for minutes I stood and listened, looking – trying to store the beauty for days when I’m in Leicester and the island’s loveliness is only a memory longingly conjured up.’.

Her diary entry that day ended on a sad note: ‘Tomorrow will be my last day in the Wrens – I don’t even want to think about it.’.

January 6 saw Kathleen packing and trying to find a seat on a plane the following day, so as to avoid the potentially rough ferry crossing. She took time to savour old haunts. ‘Went for a farewell walk along the promenade and sat on the rocks near the golf links and watched the spray breaking over the rocks. A mine had been washed up on the beach – the police were guarding the area. I tried to imprint the view on my mind, then walked round Castletown for a last time before coming back to the Cabin.’.

In the evening, she went with other Cabin members to the Camp cinema. ‘It was odd to be in a half empty cinema, when it used to be so full.’

Monday January 7 was when Kathleen returned to civilian life. ‘I almost left the island by boat, but at the last minute I took my luggage from the transport and decided to risk the kite. The Anson took off about 9:15 and we eventually landed at Burscough [north of Liverpool, near Southport] about 11 o’clock, after being lost in fog! It was a very exciting journey with which to finish my Wren career, especially as the First Officer was sitting next to me in the kite and she was in a great flap!’

After a night in Liverpool, Kathleen was back at home in Leicester on January 8 – so soon after her Christmas leave. ‘I feel sadder going home than I did about leaving home to join the Wrens – A queer feeling!’.

Kathleen’s 1946 diary witnesses how depressed she was after leaving the Isle of Man. Her War experience there had been without personal risk and thus she had been able to fully enjoy the company of other young people and a largely carefree existence. Knowing how hard the end of two and a half years in the Wrens would hit her, didn’t help offset the inevitable sadness. ‘I’m going to miss all these girls, all the company, fun, light-heartedness and laughter. One meets so many people – various types and ages – back in civilian life, everything is so much more restricted.’.

Kathleen’s attitude and experience, post War, was by no means unique. Her diary records – with some relief – coming across other ex-Forces personnel, who were finding it difficult to readjust to their new existence.

Life back at home in Leicester was especially hard going for the first couple of months, until she began her teaching training and had a distraction – although she remained not at all certain that this was her chosen career, which can’t have helped. She was also affected by the prevailing atmosphere in society, writing five months after demobbing: ‘Rationing, coupons, wars and rumours of wars, take the zest from living and tire one, especially when trying to accustom oneself to civilian existence. Everyone seems the same – full of worry and grumbles.’.

It can’t have always been easy for Kathleen’s family, who had to cope with her moods. Mum Elsie’s 50th birthday was on January 15, and would have been memorable for all the wrong reasons, as the diary reveals that day. ‘Returning home after shopping, things got a little too much on top of me and all my general unhappiness had to come out! I don’t know what’s the matter with me! I come home and upset the whole household…’ Only two days before, the diary revealed that ‘inside I feel quite dead – or perhaps empty and exhausted would describe it better’.

Everything seemed to be a potential trigger for poor Kathleen: seeing a February variety show brought to mind the ENSA shows on Camp; she missed analysing films with Cynthia after seeing “Brief Encounter”; unhappy with a dance where there were just ‘pimply boys or middle-aged men’ - and packing a suitcase to see Dewsbury relatives made her wish to be taking that case back to Ronaldsway.

Even enjoying nature made her miss the Isle of Man. Multiple diary entries over the months of 1946, attest to this. ‘A wonderfully wild night, reminiscent of winter in my beloved island’ (August); ‘The sun was streaming in at the window and my mind flew along its usual path, back to the island, and wished that I had to walk outside into the fresh morning air to wash and to see the grass, the blue of the sky and appreciate the salt tang in the air!’ (May).

Leading Wren Kathleen Oates’ war had most definitely come to an end. Next week’s article will look at what happened to her life afterwards, as new experiences – and a return to the Island - helped lift her mood.