WO2 (Retired) Wendy Hooton, 2019

Oil on canvas by Scott Pohlschmidt, 2019.

Wendy Hooton joined the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC) in 1972 and completed her Trade Training as a Communication Centre Operator at Catterick. The next year she was attached to the Royal Corps of Signals and went on to serve with them all over the world including Hong Kong and Cyprus.

In 1978 she was the only WRAC personnel selected to take part in Exercise Long Look in Watsonia, Melbourne, Australia. She spent four months on exchange with the Australian Army, serving with 6 Signal Regiment. During the Cold War she served in Germany, taking part in various exercises including Exercise Wintex. She went on to run the HQ Scotland Communication Centre in Edinburgh, carrying out inspections of communication centres around Scotland, including Benbecula and St Kilda.

Hooton was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and left the WRAC in 1990.

Scott Pohlschmidt is an artist and sculptor who co-founded Lavender Hill Studios (now London Fine Art Studios).

The portrait was produced as part of a series of live painting events at the National Army Museum during its 'Rise of the Lionesses' exhibition in 2019. Five artists produced five portraits of inspirational female veterans who served in either the WRAC or the Auxiliary Territorial Service. The soldiers discussed their military careers and post-military lives while their portraits were being painted.

Not NAM conditional