User:SJones206/Eileen Younghusband
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Eileen Younghusband (born Eileen Le Croissette, 1921 ) served in the WAAF during World War 2 and was notably the first to receive the coded message alerting Allied forces to the launch of the first V-2 rocket against Britain in 1944.[1]
Younghusband, adept at French and German, also had a notable talent for maths. This was used to great effect during her time in the filter rooms during the war in which she, along with a large team of WAAF officers, was responsible for assessing the information gleaned from Radar and deducing the height, number and location of enemy forces in the air - instrumental for establishing Britain's defence network.[2] These teams had a matter of minutes to accurately calculate, with the aid of only pen and paper, the whereabouts of both friendly and enemy forces.
Having joined the WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) in 1941 at the age of 19, Younghusband completed her initial training at RAF Innsworth, near Gloucester and later at RAF Leighton Buzzard. She was later posted to RAF Ludloe Manor, near Bath, where she proved herself to be fast and accurate enough to progress to RAF Barton Hall and finally the Fighter Command headquarters at RAF Stanmore.[3] During 1944 and 1945, Younghusband was posted to 33 Wing, 2nd TAF at Malines, Belgium. Following VE Day she was seconded to the formidable Breendonk concentration camp where she acted as a guide and interpreter, relaying to RAF troops the horrors and harsh realities of war.[4]
She married Peter Younghusband, a PT (physical training) instructor based at RAF Northolt, in 1944 - shortly before her move to Belgium in the latter stages of the conflict. They later had one son.[5]
Eileen has also taught English, bred pigs, ran a perfume business, dealt in scrap metal and became a successful hotelier. As she signed the Official Secrets Act her story remained unheard for 30 years, though she has since written two autobiographies, 'Not an Ordinary Life' (2009) and the forthcoming 'One Woman's War' (2011), dealing more specifically with her war time experience. Younghusband graduated from the Open University at the age of 87, and continues to campaign on health and education issues.
References
[edit]- ^ Irving, David (1964). The Mare's Nest. London: William Kimber and Co. p. 17
- ^ Younghusband, Eileen (2009). 'Not an Ordinary Life', Cardiff Centre for Lifelong Learning.
- ^ Younghusband, Eileen (2011). 'One Woman's War' Candy Jar Ltd.
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8130435.stm
- ^ Younghusband, Eileen (2011). 'One Woman's War' Candy Jar Ltd.
External links
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