Women of RAF Tempsford reveals the diverse and challenging roles played by the women associated with Churchill’s most secret airfield. From this Bedfordshire base, dozens of female agents were sent out by Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War. These women – as well as others from clandestine Allied organisations – were flown out of Tempsford and parachuted or landed into occupied Europe on vital but highly dangerous missions: their job was to work with resistance movements both before and after D-Day. Here Bernard O’Connor relates the experiences of over sixty agents by drawing on a range of sources, including many of the women’s accounts of their wartime service. There are stories of rigorous training, thrilling undercover operations, tragic betrayals and extraordinary courage.

The book also sheds light on the important work carried out at Tempsford by members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), who undertook topsecret administrative tasks and transport duties, and by the all-female First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), who accompanied and supported many of the personnel flown out from or brought back to the airfield.

Whether their work involved evading capture by the Gestapo in Nazi-occupied France or toiling behind the scenes as part of the catering staff, the women of RAF Tempsford rendered essential service to their country. Now their memories and contributions are preserved for future generations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bernard O’Connor has taught Geography, History, Religious Education, IT, Citizenship and English in Britain, Taiwan, China and Australia. Now living near Cambridge, UK, he has researched many aspects of local history. His first publications were on the social, economic and archaeological impact of the 19th and 20th century coprolite industry in the UK, France, Spain and the United States. This was open-cast mining of phosphatic nodules, thought by some at the time to be fossilised dinosaur droppings. More recently he has researched and published work on RAF Tempsford: Churchill’s Most Secret Airfield.

248 x 172 mm | paperback | 224 pages | b&W illustrations throughout