Bletchley Manor September 3rd

Yesterday, September the Third, the seventy ninth anniversary of the outbreak of World War Two, I had the privelege to visit Bletchley Manor in order to give a talk of my life as a young woman during the war years. I was able to introduce a large audience to the work of the still unknown Filter Room, the linchpin of the Radar defence of Britain and the forerunner of Air Traffic Control. This is where I worked as a Filterer Officer. No one in the audience had ever heard of the Filter Room. They had seen the TV pictures of the Operations Room, girls moving symbols around a mapped table, but it was the airwoman and WAAF Officers of the Filter Room who tracked, re-calculated positions, height and numbers of aircraft in enemy raids and produced this information. They identified friend or hostile, initiated Air Raid warnings and air-sea rescues. Time was of the essence as our small fighter force and trained pilots relied on this information to intercept at the last minute. We had also access to information from Bletchley and Y stations. Imagine my surprise when at the end I waa presented with a Certificate of Freedom to Bletchley Park and a special medal as a Veteran of a Bletchley Outstation. I was overwhelmed by this honour and to be associated in a small way with those brilliant minds of Bletchley.

The Second Great Fire of London

Seventy years ago on this very day, December 29th, Londoners experienced the Second Great Fire of London. This was the day when the German Luftwaffe tried to bring devastion to the heart of London - to destroy the City itself. In early evening thousand of incendiary bombs were dropped, causing fires in Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill; and especially the area around St. Paul's Cathedral.
      I lived in the northern suburbs and  remember to this day the sight of the all-consuming flames and the smell of the acrid smoke as I looked out from the upstairs windows of my home. It seemed impossible that any building could remain standing. The gallant men of the London Fire Service helped by the volunteer Auxiliary Service toiled hour upon hour to control the flames. They drew water from the Thames to supplement their diminishing supplies.As the evening turned to night, the fire bombs were followed by the heavy bombers. The bombardment seemed to go on for hours. Would anything remain? Winston Churchill sent out the order that St. Paul's was to be protected at all costs. so these firemen held on, hour after hour. many being killed or injured  as they worked but they never gave up. As the bombers returned home, thinking their work was done, there amidst the surrounding fires, St. Paul's Dome stood proud and  virtually untouched amidst the surrounding ruins - a symbol of hope.