A LIFELONG Musselburgh resident who was involved in “top secret” work prior to the D-Day landings has celebrated her 100th birthday.
Anna Boyle (née Kinnaird) joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) – the women’s branch of the British Army – during the Second World War.
Her secretarial skills were utilised and she was based in Salisbury and Whitehall during her service.
Anna “thoroughly enjoyed” her time in the ATS, despite the hours being “long and arduous”, and she made “lifelong friends”.
Born on October 27, 1923, she was the first daughter of William and Jane Agnes Kinnaird, of Hercus Loan, Musselburgh.
Her younger sister, Marjorie, was born in August 1928.
The family moved to the town’s Belfield Court and then to Eskside East.
Anna was educated at Musselburgh Grammar School. After leaving school, she attended McAdams Business College and then joined Standard Life Assurance Company, prior to serving with the ATS in 1943.
She was demobbed in 1946 and rejoined Standard Life as secretary to the Edinburgh branch manager.
Anna married Allan Boyle, of Musselburgh’s Stoneybank Crescent, at Greenside Parish Church, Edinburgh, on March 24, 1952.
They enjoyed a wedding reception at the George Hotel and she was delighted when her grandson Scott married his wife Danielle at the same venue nearly 65 years later.
Allan, who was born on November 17, 1917, was originally from Uphall.
The couple, who loved dancing, set up home on Musselburgh’s Eskside West.
Their son Roger was born in 1959 and the family moved to the town’s West Holmes Gardens.
Anna gave up work after she got married but, when Roger went to school, she returned to the workplace as secretary to a director at the former Jenners department store, Princes Street, Edinburgh, and later to the matron at the former Edenhall Hospital, Musselburgh.
Anna stopped working to care for her own mother when she became unwell.
Allan, who was a pharmaceutical representative for chemists in the Lothians and Fife, died in 1985.
Anna, a member of Musselburgh’s Northesk Parish Church for many years, spent a lot of time with her late sister Marjorie following Allan’s death.
The sisters went on many holidays together.
Roger and his wife Avril have two sons, Scott and David.
Anna enjoyed a surprise birthday at her Musselburgh flat, despite not wanting “a fuss”.
Guest of honour was Anna’s two-year-old great-granddaughter Georgia, the daughter of grandson David and his partner, Claire White.
She received many cards, including one from King Charles III and Queen Camilla, as pictured in the image above.
The family thanked family friend Diane Fyffe, who made the birthday cake and the afternoon tea.
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