ITV TRACK EILEEN

Eileen featured in her very own documentary last night (8/11/2012) on ITV Wales.

Welsh Heroes of World War II: Tracking the Enemy depicted Eileen's work in the incredible Filter Rooms, part of the ingenious RADAR chain, during World War II as she tracked planes and incoming bombs over the skies of Britain. Using just their mathematical talents, Eileen and the other WAAF girls were responsible for knowing exactly what was going on in the air. It was their filtered information that determined both the location of airborne aircraft and which were friend or foe.

Eileen speaking on ITV Wales

Tracking the Enemy went beyond the Filter Rooms of World War II in its 25 minute running time and introduced Eileen to the modern system of Air Defence now in place. When asked if she would like to get back to work Eileen replied 'If I could be twenty-one and do it all over again, I would'.

The commemorative window at Bentley priory

A truly inspiring documentary, Tracking the Enemy has helped to highlight the vital work done by the young women of the WAAF who have now been honoured at the home of the Royal Air Force, Bentley Priory, with a stunning stained glass window. For more information on the programme and for a sneak preview of the show, please click here

Eileen's book One Woman's War is currently in the final stages of its transition from page to screen. The one hour documentary tells Eileen's story of her (so far) 91 years, covering everything from her childhood to her marriage to dealing scrap metal for a company in Spain. A truly remarkable life, One Woman's War is due for release in December*.

Watch this space for the One Woman's War trailer coming soon.



*date of releases subject to change.

V2 ROCKET FOUND IN HARWICH

Recently a V2 rocket used during the Second World War was discovered in Harwich Harbour, Essex. A local sailing club spotted what looked like the tail of a rocket breaking the service of the water. Once the police had been informed a team of Royal Navy divers were called to the scene to investigate, as well as the Bomb Disposal Squad. WW2 veteran, Eileen Younghusband, knows all too well about the dangers of the V2 rockets. She served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and was tasked with detecting and tracking enemy planes and the V2 rockets in the wartime Filter Rooms.

90-year-old Eileen, who was the first person to track a V2 rocket, feels the location of the discovered V2 is quite interesting. She said: “It’s all very strange. It’s not where I would have expected it to be. The V2s were designed to travel great distances. If they were launched from Pas-de-Calais they were aimed at London, from Rotterdam they were aimed at Antwerp. This one must have been faulty.”

She continues: “These weapons were so different from the bombing of the Blitz when people could see and hear the aircraft and recognise that our fighters were up there retaliating. The V2s were something else. If you heard one, the chances are you were going to die."

Eileen’s book, ‘One Woman’s War’, which details her time in the Filter Room, is available now from www.onewomanswar.co.uk.

SCHOOL REPORT

Recently I gave a talk to Class 3, about my experience as a WAAF Officer during the last war, at All Saints Primary School at Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. These  eight-year olds had previously visited The Imperial War Museum and their class room was decorated with WW2 memorabilia - a cut-out evacuation train with their own photos pasted in the windows, fighter and bomber aircraft, the emotive words THE BLITZ, HITLER, NAZIS together with Ration books and Identity Cards.

They listened avidly to my description of the job of the Filter Room, the lynchpin of the Radar system. When I showed them a film of the work done at Fighter Command Headquarters' Filter Room, they were engrossed.

At the end they asked over twenty questions. "Had I met Anne Frank?" "No," I said. "Did I ever see Winston Churchill." "Yes," was my answer. "Did we have to be good at Maths to work there?" And the questions continued...  I spent one of my most interesting and enjoyable two hours with them. The culmination was finding in my letter box two days ago an envelope containing twenty-nine hand-made cards from these children with drawings on the front and delightful messages inside. Here a few samples of these delightful children's efforts.

www.onewomanswar.co.uk

MY INTERESTING YEAR!

Having produced a second book "One Woman's War" about the secret work of the Filter Room of Fighter Command and found a publishing company Candy Jar Books of Cardiff, things are happening rapidly. It is as if I had thrown a pebble into the pool of publicity. I have now contributed to Impossible Pictures, for a forthcoming series  "D Day to Berlin", to be aired on Channel 4 in the autumn and a further interview with Daybreak TV for a drama series plus an interesting contact with Boffinstv. Each day something new happens - makes life interesting in my 90th year!

www.onewomanswar.co.uk