High Wycombe: Hughenden Gardens Village resident shares life story

Beryl Mary Doreen Cooke, known as Molly, shared details of her exciting youth, including working as a telegrapher during the Second World War.

The resident of Hughenden Gardens Village in High Wycombe was born in Exeter on February 17 1923.

She was “lucky enough to have a bike” after she saved money to get hers, and she cycled or walked everywhere she could.

Her first job was earning six pence a week for doing her neighbour’s shopping.

Molly spent most of her money on sweets, and later on, on the “occasionally cigarette".

“We all indulged in things we ought not to,” she laughed. 

The enterprising young woman joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service (Wrens) during the Second World War when she was 18. 

“But because I had left school at 14, they didn’t want me in the Wrens,” Molly said.

She managed to make her case to the head of Wrens, who allowed her to join the service.

Molly spent six months learning Morse code before working as a telegrapher sending and receiving coded messages.

“I had a lovely time in the Wrens. Plenty of boyfriends, of course,” she said.

Her pilot husband Johnny “crash landed” into her life while she was with the Wrens.

A plane crash had forced Johnny to take time off flying, and he was told to make himself useful and spend time in the control tower, where Molly happened to be. 

She said: “He sat on my desk, headphones on, and taking down the messages and talking.

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“I had a girlfriend, she was on duty, and when she was off I was on duty, and he used to take us both out.

“My friend said eventually ‘he seems to like you more than I’.”

The couple married in 1946, and they went on to stay together for 71 years. 

Molly married Johnny from Glasgow in 1946 (Image: Molly Cooke)

They had one child and one grandchild.

After the war, she made her career working in the town clark’s office.

Molly was cautious about giving marriage advise since “everybody’s different.”

“Me and my husband had our own interests. So we could leave each other and then come back. There’s ups and downs in all marriages.”

Molly has been a keen backgammon player from young age, and she comes from “card playing family”. At her home in Hughenden Valley Retirement Village, she’s taught others how to play the popular board game.  

“All my life, I’ve been a leader, not a follower. I got involved in lots of things, and here I am.”