At our weekly meetings, a desk bell–the silver-coloured type seen on service counters of many commercial businesses–is used to call a meeting to order. Our bell recently stopped working and shaking it wasn’t very effective.

Thankfully, member Nadene G. graciously donated a family memento in its stead. This weighty brass bell with a warm patina (pictured above) represents the Royal Electric and Mechanical Engineers (REME) Corps of the U.K. Army, which began in 1942 and continues today. The badge at the top of the bell has a forcené (rearing) horse and chain (symbols of power and control), a globe representing engineering’s global impact, plus a lightning bolt symbolic of electrical engineering.

The bell was accompanied by a copy of a photo of Marjorie Inkster, who served as a radar maintenance officer during World War II. The photo was shown at the Women of REME Exhibition (2019) and can be viewed on the website of the REME Museum in Lyneham, England.

It is a treat to replace a simple mass-market item with an item having its own story of women, solidarity, and life-changing challenges. And, as Nadene noted with a smile, “This bell is sturdy enough for the next 120 years of CWLC meetings.” Our sincere thanks, Nadene!

Written by Barbara R.