Winifred Phillips, the first woman Chelsea Pensioner, is second from the left.

Winifred Phillips, Born 1926
the first female chelsea pensioner

Chance dictated she ended up in the Army. She went to the recruiting office one day in 1948 to join the Royal Navy. But the Navy and the RAF women had gone to lunch, and the only woman left was recruiting for the Army. Her career took her to Egypt and Cyprus, then back to the UK. Latterly, she worked in Singapore and Jakarta as PA to generals and a brigadier cousin of the Duchess of Kent. In the meantime, she travelled widely around Asia, often alone and braving the discomfort and danger. After retirement she applied in 1999 to become a Chelsea Pensioner, a role then reserved for men. She was eventually successful, joining the Royal Hospital in 2009, the first woman to be admitted.

Click below to view her life story: