The oldest and longest serving member of the women's Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) has died at the age of 98.

Joan Ground Sanders, of Beccles, joined the ATS on the day it was formed on October 18, 1938, and was allocated the number W4.

Another north Suffolk woman, Constance Sylvia Carlyon, of Lowestoft, had been allocated W3 but was released from service by 1942.

Miss Sanders was called to the colours on September 1, 1939, promoted to corporal in March 1940 and shortly afterwards to sergeant.

In 1938 Miss Sanders was one of only 25 women in the company but by 1942 at least 250 women had enlisted.

During the early days women had a choice of only four types of service which were cooks, orderlies, drivers and clerks.

However, by 1942 the number of trades in the service of the ATS had expanded to more than 60.

Miss Sanders had recalled that in 1938 the uniforms for the women were cumbersome and badly cut with no cuffs on the jackets.

Matters regarding the uniforms moved quickly on and by 1942 the uniforms were comfortable, well cut and smart.

During 1942 Miss Sanders made recruiting broadcasts on the BBC encouraging young women to join the ATS.

A founding member of the 10th Suffolk Company ATS, Miss Sanders began her war service at Landguard Point, Felixstowe, supporting the 409 anti-aircraft gun battery.

She had earlier trained at Canterbury and her wartime service saw her based at Marham, Hoo in Kent, Hadleigh, Lawford, Harlow and Wakefield.

At the end of the Second World War Miss Sanders resumed her peacetime occupation as office manager at WE Wiggs, agricultural engineers of Barnby, where her father Horace Sanders was a partner.

In recent years Miss Sanders had been able to live independently in Beccles with the support of the Royal British Legion Beccles branch and their welfare officer.

The funeral service for Miss Sanders will be supported by the Beccles branch of the Royal British Legion and will be held at St Botolph's Church, North Cove, at 11.30am on Wednesday, February 11.

Any former members of the ATS or associates will be most welcome to attend.

Would you like to pay tribute to Miss Joan Sanders. Email david.lennard@archant.co.uk

ATS PANEL

When the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) was formed in 1938 the first recruits were employed as cooks, clerks and storekeepers.

However, following the outbreak of the Second World War that all changed and due to the shortage of men ATS members, along with other women's voluntary services, took on many more roles including radar operators, drivers, anti-aircraft crew members and members of the military police.

ATS telephonists were in France to support the British Expeditionary Force which was driven back to the channel and the ATS members were among the last British personnel to be evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940.

By 1943 about 9 out of every 10 women were involved in taking an active part in the war effort.

The new roles filled by ATS members were dangerous and records from the Imperial War Museum show there were 717 casualties during the war.

The most notable member of the ATS during the Second World War was Princess Elizabeth, now Her Majesty the Queen.

At its peak the ATS had 210,308 women on its books. Other famous recruits included Mary Churchill the youngest daughter of the wartime prime minister Winston Churchill.