Director of the Women’s Royal Army Corps who expanded the roles for women in the armed forces

Born: December 24, 1915;

Died: September 23, 2018

BRIGADIER Dame Joanna Kelleher, who has died aged 102, was a formidable member of the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) who saw service during the Second World War in challenging posts – notably with SOE working with the Free French - and went on to become director of the WRAC from 1964 to 67. She made a substantial contribution to furthering the stature of the corps within the army -with her campaigning zeal existing Corps members and new recruits had fresh challenges to further their expertise - and did much to modernise the Corps and make it a vibrant force in the British army.

As director she was responsible for the strategic planning and administration of all the members of the WRAC. Her foresight and planning led to the future enlistment of women into the wider Army. As director of WRAC, Kelleher was the most senior appointment for women in the army and retired as a brigadier.

Throughout her service she was popular and much admired in all her postings - several were in Scotland and she signed on as a recruit at the WRAC barracks in 1941 in Inverness. On her record of service an official has added in a rather spidery hand, “It is a long time since W/760076 PTE Henderson J reported to Cameron Barracks for recruitment training.”

Joan Evelyn Henderson, always known as Joanna, was born in London to Scottish parents: Kenneth Henderson, a distinguished barrister (originally from Stonehaven) and his wife, Evelyn. She was educated privately in Surrey and Switzerland, where she became fluent in French and a keen skier.

On the declaration of war in 1939, she began voluntary hospital work but in 1941 she did her training with the WRAC in Inverness and was commissioned into the ATS as a lance corporal four months later.

She served in a number of posts – firstly in Glasgow as a junior adjutant (1942-43) and as an adjutant at Faslane, the strategically important Royal Navy port on the Clyde. In 1944 she was seconded to SOE in Baker Street working as a translator and liaising with Free French officers.

On duty on the night of June 6 1944, she was surprised to see her director was hard at work at his desk well into the night. Next day she learnt that the D-Day invasion had taken place that night.

She enjoyed the discipline and comradeship of army life and decided to devote her career to the WRAC. The corps was only disbanded in 1992 when women joined other regiments.

After the war she fulfilled several senior roles in the WRAC - notably when she was attached to HQ Scottish Command in 1949 – and at the newly opened army staff college at Frimley, Surrey. From 1955-56 she was Officer Commanding WRAC at the headquarters of Scottish Command. While in Edinburgh she became a great dog lover – especially of cocker spaniels. She took her Misty to London and the dog behaved impeccably sleeping at her feet under her desk at the War Office.

Subsequent postings included with the Middle East Land Forces, Canal Zone, where she was controller of quartering, and then to Cyprus, where she was in charge of the financial side of operations.

She spent two years in Singapore on the staff of the WRAC Far East and in 1962 returned to the War Office. While serving in Singapore she met Brigadier Mortimer Kelleher MC - both were serving at HQ Far East Land Forces, he as a medical officer. He also had a distinguished military career having rescued, in 1938, two wounded comrades while under heavy fire and was awarded the Military Cross. The two brigadiers corresponded for many years before marrying in 1970.

In retirement they lived firstly between southern Spain and Hampshire before settling at Farnham, Surrey. She enjoyed gardening, skiing and sailing. She also took up golf in her retirement and she and her husband became enthusiastic players.

She was appointed DBE in 1965 and was an honorary ADC to the Queen from 1964 to 67. She remained devoted to the WRAC its traditions and its members and was much involved in the preparations for the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) — the forerunner of the WRAC. She maintained close connections with Scotland and, significantly, her funeral was at the Church of Scotland in Aldershot.

Throughout her career Kelleher did much to advance and expand the roles for women in the armed forces. She was a popular and congenial figure at all her postings and was much respected at all levels in the WRAC.

Her husband died in 2006.

ALASDAIR STEVEN