FAIRWATER LIBRARY CELEBRATES WORLD BOOK NIGHT

Candy Jar has joined forces with Fairwater Library to celebrate ‘World Book Night’ on 23rd April with a special author signing at Fairwater Library. The event, which features two of Candy Jar’s top authors, Eileen Younghusband and Barbara Pontin, is expected to be popular with local residents.

First to appear will be former WAAF, Eileen Younghusband, who has written her memoirs of WW2, entitled One Woman’s War.

The book reveals the truth about the forgotten wartime women, barely out of their teens, who were employed for this critical job because they were quicker than men. It also has contributions from Dame Vera Lynn and Emma Soames. Emma Soames, who is Winston Churchill’s granddaughter and editor-at-large at Saga Magazine, believes that this story must be heard. She says: “It is excellent to be reminded what a great debt we owe to this group of brave, dedicated young women who, in a highly charged and stressful situation, where time was of the essence, did so much to save our country from destruction.

Now in her 91st year, Eileen has appeared on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Breakfast, and has contributed to a documentary series "WW2: The Last Heroes”. She has also been in talks with a production company about turning aspects of her life into a drama series.

For 83-year-old Barbara Pontin it is almost like coming home. She worked in the Fairwater Library for twenty years and is excited to be returning as a published author. Barbara began writing her book, Merlys, in her early forties. She says: “With a family to look after it became increasingly difficult to devote my time to the book, and although I did have some interest from Hollywood, I put the manuscript away and forgot about it.”

Early in 2011 Barbara came across the 40-year-old manuscript and decided to breathe new life into the 18th century story of murder, anguish and love across the Welsh valleys. She continues: “I wanted my story to reach as many people as possible, so I contacted Candy Jar Books in Cardiff. They were very supportive, but did encourage me to start the book with a shock. I don’t think they expected it to be so blood-curdling though.”

Barbara is quietly pleased by the reaction to the pre-release of Merlys. Mischievously she says: “My friends have been very shocked by this book. They didn’t know that I had it in me. Most thought butter would not melt in my mouth. It has been fun to prove them wrong!”

Shaun Russell, director at Candy Jar Books, is very proud of Eileen and Barbara. He says: “At Candy Jar we like to support new talent. Barbara Pontin’s Merlys is quite a brave book. It takes romantic fiction into a slightly gruesome world of wreckers and highwaymen. On the other hand, Eileen Younghusband’s One Woman’s War describes WW2 in considerable detail. It is an important account of women’s contribution to the Allied victory in 1945. Eileen's story is an inspiration to us all.”
Eileen Younghusband will be at Fairwater Library between 11am-1pm, with Barbara Pontin there between 2pm- 4pm.

One Woman's War is out now. Merlys is available in August.

CALL TO ARMS

The BBC is hoping to make a documentary about the work of the Filter Room – part of Fighter Command, during World War II. They already have some excellent potential interviewees and archive footage. However they need some help finding the programme's presenter.

As such, they are looking for a well-known woman with a mother or grandmother in the WAAF. Are you an actor, presenter or journalist with such a background?

Or are you a WAAF veteran who has a famous relation in the media. If you can help please contact Dina Mufti on 02920322143 or 07976 599212

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.

ONE WOMAN'S WAR - COMING SOON ON DVD!

Candy Jar is pleased to announce the forthcoming DVD, based on the critically acclaimed memoir One Woman's War by Eileen Younghusband.

Eileen Younghusband (90) was just 18 when she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). She quickly demonstrated her keen intellect and mathematical skills, playing a crucial role in Fighter Command’s underground Filter Room.

Working grueling shifts under enormous pressure she and her companions worked tirelessly, tracking the swarms of enemy aircraft that sought to break the British resolve. She even had the dubious honour of detecting the first of Hitler’s devastating V2 rockets as it fell on an unsuspecting London.

In 2011, Candy Jar Books published Eileen's memoir to critical and commercial success.

Now, this DVD goes beyond the book and delves deeper into Eileen's wartime experiences as she gives a frank and revealing interview about her experiences leading up to and during the Second World War.
Running Time: Approx. 60mins

Format: PAL, Widescreen (16:9)

Classification: Exempt

The One Woman's War DVD will be available this spring. To pre-order your copy of the DVD, please go here. Any orders made prior to release with benefit from priority dispatch.
www.onewomanswar.co.uk

www.candy-jar.co.uk

NOT AN ORDINARY LIFE - NOW ON KINDLE!

Candy Jar is proud to announce that Eileen's first book, Not An Ordinary Life, is now available via Kindle.

From London suburbs to French au pair, city clerk to secret War Room, V2 detection to VE-Day, concentration camp guide to language teacher, pig breeder to busy hotelier and scrap metal Queen—then bachelor’s degree in her eighty-seventh year! This autobiographical book tells of how changing times brought historical events into the life of an extraordinary woman.

Since this book was first released in 2009, Eileen has gone on to write 'One Woman's War', a critically acclaimed account of her time serving in the WAAF in World War Two. For this electronic version, she has brought her life story up to date by adding a new chapter, writing about her experiences of becoming a celebrity author at the age of 90!

You can buy the Kindle version of Not An Ordinary Life here.

Candy Jar Books
One Woman's War

I'VE BEEN FRAMED

I have just had a fantastic experience. Richard Pepper the creator of Photographic Memory – a personal lifestory portrait – contacted me some weeks ago. After seeing me on the BBC Breakfast programme he asked if he could use my life as the subject for a portrait to be used at a special event.

The BBC were holding an exhibition at Olympia under the heading “Who do you think you are?”

He had booked a stand to launch his new project and my portrait was to be the centrepiece. He visited me several times, taking famly documents to use as a backcloth and superimposing photos illustrating family, career, history and background.

He has presented me with a framed replica – the result touched my heart. It is a wonderful way to commemorate what is important and touching in everyone’s life. You should commemorate your family in such a way.

www.photographicmemory.uk.com

Eileen

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

Looking forward to a new set of adventures in 2012 - already I have heard from the Association of Flight Controllers, the current name for Officers doing the work of Filterers in WW2 that I have been made an Honorary Member. I am thrilled with this honour and look forward to meeting modern day practioners of the art of calculating and vectoring ai craft. I am also ecstatic to learn that the proposed museum at Bentley Priory, the headquarters of Fighteer Command and the air defence of Great Britain in WW2, is not only going to recreate the Filter Room as used in the 1940s but there is a proposal to create a memorial window to the WAAF who served in Radar, Ops Rooms and Filter Rooms. This means we have to raise up to £10,000 for its preparation but I know we will do it. Any ex-Filter Room personnel who read this blog are welcome to contact me at le.croissette@virgin.net if they are willing to support us.

It is time that the vital work behind the scenes done by members of the WAAF was recognised.

Eileen

NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE

You can now read the Kindle version of One Woman's War. Available from the Kindle store, you can instantly purchase and download them and start reading right away! So, if you've missed the Christmas post, or have just treated yourself to Amazon's latest eReader, why not give them a try?

These books are also available in all other eBook formats, including Kobo and iBooks (accessible from your iPad or iPhone).

Links:

Amazon

Candy Jar

One Woman's War

Kangazang

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

Another Christmas on the horizon and another year almost gone - I hope 2011 has been kind to you and yours. I send you seasonal greetings and my best wishes for a peaceful and happy year to come. Although the news is full of doom and gloom, we must make the best of it. Austerity is not necessarily all bad – it makes us appreciate things money cannot buy.

This past year has been a more than eventful 365 days. My second book, dedicated to the WAAF of the Filter Rooms of Fighter Command was published initially in an exclusive limited soft back edition in January by Candy Jar Books of Cardiff. This is a young company run by Shaun and Justin, two enterprising young men with media and photographic backgrounds. On my 90th birthday, it was launched as a hard back edition at RAF St. Athan. That day I shared my birthday with the Commanding Officer, Wing Commandeer Williams, the only difference being that he was half my age and twice my height!

We toured the camp in a jeep called Queenie, designed like a Popemobile for our Queen when she toured Berlin for the first time. Then we inspected the troops on the Parade Ground and finally in the Mess were presented with two enormous birthday cakes, decorated with the RAF insignia, to be cut up and shared with the RAF, MOD and local council representatives – a memorable day and all of which was filmed by HTV and shown on the evening news. The following weekend I was taken to meet the Air Officer commanding the whole of the RAF in Wales at the Swansea Air Show. The following day, the first sunny one in weeks, I held a party for fifty-six friends in the garden of Picquets – it was great to welcome them all.

Candy Jar are great publicists and this has led to so many activities. I have given twenty-six talks to varying groups, ranging from a wonderful class of eight year olds in a Primary school in Barry to a bunch of Radio Hams; and from Bletchley Manor, where I was presented with the Freedom of Bletchley and a veterans badge as a member of a Bletchley outstation, to Rotary clubs and Cardiff University. I have enjoyed them all.

I was invited to the St. David’s Day dinner in the City Hall in Cardiff and then honoured with a visit to my house by the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones who wanted to view the Filter Room film of a watch at Fighter Command HQ, taken in November 1943. There have been several interviews with both BBC TV and Radio and ITV but the most interesting was the invitation to appear on BBC Breakfast on September 7^th. I have always been a fan of this show and was delighted to meet Bill Turnbull and Chris Hollins. Sadly Sian was not on that day but I met Louise. I even received a passing nod from Craig Revel Horwood! Wales’ answer to Terry Wogan, Roy Noble has invited me twice to be on his show and I am due there again for the radio broadcast on Christmas Day – obviously recorded beforehand.

A recent visit to Aces High Aviation Gallery in Wendover, Bucks saw me signing vast numbers of aviation memorabilia for aeronautical fans in the company of four wonderful Battle of Britain fighter pilots, one of whom was Geoffrey Wellum, the author of First Light, two WAAF airwomen, and four great American Mustang pilots. Our ages totted up to almost one thousand years but everyone was “with it”! There was also a short appearance in the fourth episode of Channel 4’s saga, entitled WW2 - the Last Heroes and another one in a series for ITV. But what I have enjoyed most is all the interesting people I have met during the year, including several WAAF colleagues who have made contact again after all these years. One of these is Patricia Robins who writes both under that name and also Claire Lorrimer. She has written 80 books and is still doing so – definitely puts me in the shade.

I have been thrilled to talk to Emma Soames, Winston Churchill’s granddaughter who contributed a foreword for One Woman’s War, and to make contact with Dame Vera Lynn who contributed an endorsement.

The final surprise for the year has been finding again the little girl Hélène, then five years old, to whom together with her two brothers I taught French in Contrexeville in the summer of 1938. This was the year of the Munich crisis when Chamberlain, Hitler and Mussolini met and signed the non-aggression pact. Due to the threat of war, I had to leave the family and France suddenly and return home. A French author, with whom I have worked recently, managed to trace her after all these years. She is now 78 years old and living in Grenoble. She rings me regularly, speaking impeccable English.

Thanks to the wonderful care of my eye surgeon, Chris Gorman, we have managed to keep Wet Macular Degeneration at bay but it is a constant battle. I have just had my 30 eye injection with the drug Lucentis. I must admit I walk like an old woman but I keep my brain active, if not my body. I thank my many friends for their support and their kindnesses.

Eileen

WE REMEMBER - 11/11/11/11

At 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month in 2011 (11-11-11-11) 'One Woman's War' will be remembering those who were willing to lay down their lives for their country.

Publishers, Candy Jar will give £1 for every copy of the book sold through their website, Amazon shop, and on Play.com on November 11^th 2011.

OUT OF THE BLUE!

Every day something new happens, building up to my birthday on July 4th when my second book "One Woman's War" published by Candy Jar Books  is launched in a superb hardback version. I look at the post each morning and wonder what is the next surprise. Yesterday I received three letters - one from a WAAF who had served during the war as an Instrument Repairer, a vital job and the second from a Squadron Leader who had become a Filterer Officer like me, and it transpires that I was his training Officer at RAF Bawdsey when he first joined up. He went on to serve in Filter Rooms overseas  including India, Ceylon and the Cocos Keeling Islands. Speaking subsequently to him by phone, the third piece of news came from a Wing Commander Bomber Commander. I wonder where the next surprise is coming from?

Eileen

V2 AT THE FILTER ROOM ROCKET DESK

Out of the blue I have received a letter from a WAAF airwoman who worked with me in the 11 Group Filter Room and  who knew me by my maiden name   Eileen Le Croissette! It shows how we kept secrets - I never knew about this secret operation - The Rocket Room.- This is her letter:-

Mary  -------------

WAAF 1941-1946  Cpl 448876

Innsworth Lane

, Glos; Leighton Buzzard Plotter School

1941-3: 12 Group Watnall

1943-6:  11 Group, Stanmore, Bentley Priory, down the Hole, then moved to Hill House

20^th June 2011

Dear Mrs Younghusband

It has been a great pleasure to read your “One Woman’s War”. Your letter to the press “Filtered Out” thrilled my Filter friends. “Ops” always had the publicity, but you highlighted the frantic work on the Filter Room table, describing the Radar Chain, and how the system was unknown.

To discover you were S/O Le Croissette was amazing, remembering you at Stanmore, down the “Hole” and at Hill House.  As a plotter, I did most duties from Teller, Filter Office’s Clerk for Y Service, plotting on all stations - Beachy Head on D-Day, with the mass raid of 1,000 A/C.

So far, nothing has been written about the Rocket Office, my last duty.  Why?  This small office built onto the rear of the Filter Room, manned by two, sometimes three officers plus one NCO, contained a long switchboard of phone lines, alarm bells, a place for the recorder; on the side, just enough room for a large map to trace the firing points of each “incident” to landing, and final Home Office report of casualties and damage. The first V2 on September 8^th.

The Office was manned from about August 20^th. I cannot remember the names of the officers, except Betty Wix (666!) and Pat Robbins (daughter of the novelist, Denise Robbins).

After much waiting around, the officers used to go up to the Rest Room for a break, having given me strict instructions to sound the alarm if anything happened.  Alone, I was terrified every time a call came, but many were for Pat Robbins, from an American officer called HAM!  Pat produced the humour of the team, often asking for advice and suggestions on the current story she was writing.

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

GETTING NEARER!

Thinking about how I am going to celebrate my 90th birthday - I will have to do the catering myself and have invited 50+ friends! Will have to draw on all my previous hotel and catering know-how! Am having a "Wander Inn" at my house from midday to 1900 hours so I get a chance to talk to people. Hope the weather keeps fine so we can spread out. A  young lady, who is the 10-year-old daughter of my wonderful eye surgeon who is warding off the Wet Macular Degeneration of my left eye so marvellously, is a great pastry cook. She has offered  to make a selection of cakes for me  - a drizzle cake, a carrot cake and lots of vanilla or chocolate cup cakes.  I can see she will have a great career in front of her!

www.onewomanswar.co.uk

AN ACTIVE FEW WEEKS!

After a successful talk at Barry Library during NIACE week and a book signing, I've given two more talks about the Radar Filter Room, where I showed the film taken in November 1943 at Fighter Command HQ during an active 8 hour evening watch.

The first talk was to Penarth 41 Club, around 30 men - none of whom knew about this essential part of the Radar defence of Great Britain. It is essential the work of the WAAF becomes known and acknowledged as the lynchpin of the successful defence of Britain. 

This talk was followed with the same subject to a different audience - thirty eight-year-olds from All Saints Primary School in Barry. They were so enthusiaistic having visited the Imperial War Museum earlier in the week. Their classroom was decorated with memorabilia from WW2 - a copy of the train taking evacuees away from danger, a copy of an Anderson Air Raid shelter, ration books and wartime posters. They asked over thirty very intelligent questions. Congratulations to the Head Teacher and the inspiring staff who were encouraging these children to learn with pleasure and interest and instilling such confidence in them. I enjoyed every moment of the session with them.

www.onewomanswar.co.uk

ANOTHER BUSY WEEK

Another interesting week – interviewed by Penarth Times reporter Chris Seal re the NIACE event on Saturday at Barry Library and he has done an interesting spread in this week’s edition. I will be showing the film illustrating the then top secret function of the RADAR Filter Room where I served for 5  years and talking about V1s and V2s. Then  I will be signing my Exclusive Advance Print of “One Woman’s War”. The event will be accompanied by WW2 memorabilia and the presence of WAAF Cadets – a fascinating event for young and old!  Come and support me.

 

www.onewomanswar.co.uk

THE STORY OF A COLLABORATEUR

Last night, April 13th, my sixty-five year-long quest came to an end. In May, 1938, aged only seventeen, I went to Contrexeville in the Vosges to teach English to three young children. Their father was a right-wing member of the Chambre des Deputes, the French Parliament.

By August, it seemed war was imminent - it was the Munich Crisis - and he was called up. I was immediately sent home to avoid being caught in a war zone. Eventually at the end of World War 2, when I returned from service as a WAAF Officer, I thought about those children and wondered what had happened to them. For many years I searched without success to trace them, then through the internet I found their father had joined the Petain government and was labelled a collaborateur. I learned he had escaped to Germany in 1944 and then had managed to leave the country and found sanctuary first in the Argentine and finally in Uraguay where he died in 1968. In France, all his possessions were taken from him and his name blackened. But what happened to the children?

Last night Helene, the youngest of the three, telephoned me from Geneva and told me their amazing story. A French writer friend of mine, Genevieve Moulard, had managed to track her down through the Mayor of Contrexeville. Having been contacted by her, Helene immediately phoned me. She talked for an hour and a half in excellent English relating an amazing tale of escape, of anger, of bitterness and of danger. The life story of that family is food for a novel. Perhaps my next venture!!!

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