Sea Your History - Support networks 10

Support networks 10 - Young wives club

Millie Hodgson

Millie was seven years old when her father died on HMS Hood and spent her childhood supporting her mother. She did not expect to marry a sailor but met her husband Gordon in 1956 when he had already been in the service for 10 years. They married one year later and had two daughters.

During his career Gordon served on a number of ships including HMS Vanguard and was away for fifteen months shortly after his first daughter was born. Millie had to play the role of both parents during his long absences and then attempt to include Gordon back into their lives on his return. Gordon left the Navy in 1968.

Find out about one of the ways Millie got support as a naval wife.

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Extract Text (Duration 1.16)

Yeah, the young wives group at the local church, most of the young mums we had there were married to naval men. A lot of them on the Royal Yacht, because the adjacent road seemed to be... one member of the Royal Yacht crew bought a house, he told his friends and they all seemed to buy a house and most of that road were connected with the Navy in some way or other. So when certain ships were away, like the Royal Yacht, then all the mums were on their own and we had... we met, I suppose it was fortnightly, and we had the Mothers' Union who looked after the children while we had our meetings. And twice a year they would babysit to allow us to have an evening out together. And it was generally a supportive group, we used to run fayres and do other things besides, but it was a way for women to get support from each other.