Communications Officer
FANY SOE Veteran Joyce Wilding, aged 101, features in Episode 2 of the newly launched FANY podcast – Hello You, This is Me – sharing her memories and reflections on her service during World War II with the FANY.
Joyce volunteered to join the FANY in 1943 aged 19 and became a transmitter hut attendant after being told she would be “sent to special training schools for overseas forces”. It transpired that she was to become part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and posted to their training school in Thame Park in Oxfordshire. She discusses taking Morse Code messages from agents in the field and how sometimes those messages would suddenly go dead, and how seriously they all took their dedication to secrecy and “almost living an artificial life”. Joyce also served as an SOE driver, picking up and delivering clothes, disguises, and other supplies for agents.
The podcast was launched in April 2025 and consists of conversations between the current Commanding Officer, Commandant Lisa Giles, and a range of FANYs. The first episode was with the late Laura Lean who was a member of the Corps for many years until her untimely death in 2023.
Lisa Giles, Commanding Officer of the Corps, said:
“It was an utter privilege to speak to Joyce about her service and the contribution that she made to the war effort. We hope that her reflections both give an insight into what life was like for some young women at that time and also demonstrate how her service continues to inspire FANYs who serve now – and hopefully for many years to come.”
LISTEN TO HELLO YOU, THIS IS ME HERE