Personal papers of Hope Maclean relating to her service with the Women's Royal Naval Service during the Second World War, and with the Women's Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during the 1950s.

Having graduated with an MA from Edinburgh University in 1938, Hope was working as secretary in the university’s engineering department when she joined the W.R.N.S in 1941. As she had studied German as part of her degree, she was appointed to the Special Duties (Linguist) W.R.N.S., which were drafted to stations around the coast to intercept signals.

Included are Hope's service papers, her annotated photograph album, an account of her experiences during D-Day in 1944, and autobiographical accounts of her service written in later life. There is also a typed draft of an account by Lieutenant Leslie (Freddie) Marshall about the work of the Special Duties W.R.N.S.

After the war, Hope returned to work at Edinburgh University, at the same time studying for a law degree which allowed her to retrain as a solicitor.