Born into a prosperous military Lancashire family in 1909, Dame Jean Rivett-Drake moved to Sussex in the late 30s. As a young woman, she joined the Army serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) during WW2 as a second subaltern. After the war she continued in the ATS and was awarded an MBE. In 1949, she transferred to Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC). She continued to progress through the ranks becoming a Colonel in 1957 finally becoming Director of the WRAC between 1961 to 1964 during this term she became an aide-de-camp to the Queen.
After retiring from the army, she entered local politics and was elected to Hove Borough Council from 1966 to 1984. She also served on the East Sussex County Council from 1973 to 1977 when she became Hove’s first female mayor from 1977 to 1978.
