The Women Behind the Few with Dr Sarah-Louise Miller

The Women's Auxillary Air Force has a specific spot in the public's memory. Either as the headphoned women sat around the RAF's plotting tables or of Susannah York's Section Officer Maggie Harvey in the Battle of Britain film. But what was the reality? War historian Dr Sarah-Louise Miller joins us to discuss the WAAFs who are the subject of her new book, The Women Behind the Few: The Women's Auxiliary Air Force and British Intelligence During the Second World War. Sarah helps us to look beyond the one image that has been popularised and to see the incredible work these remark markable women accomplished and, quite literally, helped win the war.

[danellin]

Wizard podcast, thanks! Picking up your book tomorrow... There was a feeling at the time that women were better suited to sedentary tasks, attention to detail and repetition. Many were definitely unflappable though.

[Bpilot]

I think it was also found that the young women in the RAF were very good as radar operators and plotting rooms. And, also as fighter directors and let’s not forget the ATA pilots too…