A woman who was engaged in ‘top secret’ work in London during the Second World War has died aged 103 at a Wiltshire care home.

Una Wood-Hopps died on Wednesday, May 17 just three months after celebrating her birthday at the BUPA Trowbridge Oaks Care Home.

She turned 103 on February 23 and said at the time that she found it “strange” that she had lived so long.

Mrs Wood-Hopps said: “It is really strange because I am very old. I don’t know why I am so old because I have had a hard life.

“I have always worked. I have always been an outdoors person and loved gardening.”

Born in London in 1920, Una worked for the Ministry of Supply throughout World War II – a government department formed in 1939 to coordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces.

Based in the iconic Shell Mex House on The Strand, Una helped with top-secret tasks that were instrumental in providing urgent supplies to the troops on the front line.

Following the war, Una worked as a live-in nanny before marrying her husband, Jack, in 1960 and adopting her two children, Shaun, 59, and Annabel, 58.

Annabel, who now lives in Ireland, travelled to Trowbridge to help her mother celebrate her birthday in February, together with her brother and his family, who live locally.

Ray Horan, Senior Activities Co-ordinator at Trowbridge Oaks, who spent a lot of time with Mrs Wood-Hopps, said in February: “It’s a great honour for the home to have Una here with us at 103 years old. She is a wonderful lady who keeps us on our toes.”

Una and Jack were married for 50 years before he died aged 102 in 2009 and Una moved from the Salcombe area of Devon to be closer to her family.

She was the proud grandmother to eight grandchildren, as well as being a great-grandmother to Daniel, aged 11.

Mrs Wood-Hopps lived in Keevil before moving to the Trowbridge Oaks care home in May 2021.

For her birthday she received a card from Trowbridge Mayor, Cllr Graham Hill, who said that living to 103 was a “magnificent achievement” and a “true milestone in life”.

In addition to surprising Una with a specially-painted birthday card by Joy Hawes, the care home team celebrated her milestone birthday by baking her favourite Victoria sponge cake, created specially by chef Dean Venghaus.