My Grandparents’ War

-So we are in Greenock.

So this coastline here is tremendously significant and an important location, as far as Second World War goes.

-Okay.

-You get thousands of Americans coming through this coastline.

And involved in that effort are both your grandparents.

-Oh!

-So, your Grandfather Mac, and Grandma Jan. -Oh, wow!

Okay.

-Right here!

-Right here.

-And what are they doing?

-So we know that Mac was working around here.

-Yeah.

-There are multiple anti-submarine warfare bases.

And Grandma Jan is working here with the U.S. Army.

This is summer 1943.

You need to move tremendous numbers of troops coming in across the Atlantic to help with the Allied war effort.

So, when you need to move that many people, you need a lot of organization behind the scenes.

-What exactly did Jan do?

-Would you like to have a read of this?

-Sure.

-This is a reference from one of Jan's superiors.

-So it says, "To whom it may concern: "Miss Janet Rowat Williams has been employed "as my secretary for the past eight months.

"In the operation of troop movements, "Miss Williams engaged "in the actual operational activities of this office, "which called for a great deal of initiative, "tact, and good sound judgment.

"Ms. Williams is neat and pleasing in appearance.

"Her alert and intelligent way of handling her job makes her a valuable part of any office."

That is a lovely document.

And it's love- She was clearly very good at what she did.

-Very.

And it's an unusual document in some ways, because that document actually acknowledges what Jan is doing is going above and beyond what's expected -and asked of her.

-Right.

-We actually have another one.

-Yeah?

-This is from another superior.

-"Ms. Williams, by her untiring efforts "and devotion to duty "proved to be an able assistant "concerning the movement of troops, "all of which were of a secret nature.

The work of Ms. Williams was errorless throughout."

Wow.

So that's kind of- that's amazing.

-That is amazing.

-That's amazing.

Yeah.

-And obviously, from the dates in that document, we know that she was working through D-Day, because there's a tremendous number of troops in Scotland, in this area, who then have to be moved, very secretly, to the south coast, to the- the ports that they're going to leave from for the D-Day landing.

-How did they move that many people secretly?

-Because Jan was good at her job.

-Because Jan was good at her job.

-And her colleagues.

So Jan's part of the unseen workforce that made most of what the Allies did -to take back Europe possible.

-Yeah.

-It's very important.

-It's how you win wars.

-Yes.

-I think women's roles are so, sort of, belittled and an afterthought.

You sort of look at "secretary" and you look at "clerk" and- and it- it sort of doesn't tell any of the story at all.

In her reference, the fact that they call her "errorless" -- I don't think I've been errorless in my life!

[laughs] I think she would have liked that.

And then it says, "neat and pleasing."

Now, I mean, you know, if that was me and, um- I'd be really offended!

I'd be really, like, "Really?

I've done all that, "and actually on my reference you're talking about how neat and pleasing I am?"

But, being part of the organization of all of that, that's the difference between winning and losing in a war.

And so, I'm really proud she was a part of that.