Umpherson, Jane

Jane Umpherson (Jenny Jenkins) was in the British Women's Royal Naval Service, (WRNS). Jenny served in Dover as a degaussing recorder from 1943-1945. When Jenny first arrive to her posting i Dover, the area was being bombed and shelled on daily basis. Dover is barely 22 miles from the coast of France. The German guns at Cap Gris-Nez in France fired over 1000 shells a week and this daily firing led to the nickname for Dover as "Hell Fire Corner". As a trained Signaller, Jenny was posted to the docks and iron piers for assisting with the loading of the landing craft. It was her signals qualification that provided Jenny with a part in history as she organized the landing craft and tanks for Operation Neptune. The Naval plan for D-Day in June 1944. On the concrete pier above the moored Landing craft, Jenny used flags to signal as vehicles and Tanks reversed into the flat bottomed craft. Jenny was there for three days as the ships loaded them pulled away to await the invasion..