World War Two Veteran from Devon Commemorates 100th Birthday

A veteran of World War Two, residing in Devon, is commemorating her 100th birthday. Suzanne Sparrow became a member of the Women’s Royal Naval Service (Wren) at the age of 17, undertaking duties in the Plymouth dockyard, a key location for D-Day preparations. Her responsibilities included transporting personnel between vessels and the shore, and she retains clear recollections of observing the Allied forces gathering in the city for the 1944 Normandy landings. Further celebratory events are scheduled to take place at the HMS Drake barracks, the site of her initial Wren training. In 2020, Mrs Sparrow recounted her experiences regarding the Normandy Landings preparations to the BBC. She stated, “The whole situation was an incredible one because we were sworn to secrecy.” She added, “Later did one realise what an enormous operation they were involved in. Of course these young men had no idea what they were going to face.” Birthday festivities have already occurred at Mrs Sparrow’s language institution in Plymouth. The Suzanne Sparrow Plymouth Language School was established by her in 1978, prompted by her observation that no facility existed in the city for international students to enhance their English proficiency. Additionally, The British Legion plans to host an event in her honor at the yacht club in Newton Ferrers, her home town, later in November.