One Woman's War

De: Eileen Younghusband

Narrado por: Anne Dover

The Second World War is dominated by heroic tales of men defending their country against a formidable enemy, but what about the women who also played their parts in fighting for freedom?

Eileen Younghusband 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 gruelling 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.

©2013 Eileen Younghusband (P)2015 Soundings

Interesting and informative

I was inspired to add this book to my library after listening to Robert Harris’ V2. My recollection is that he mentioned Eileen Younghusband in his author’s note on his sources for his historical fiction about this German weapon. Younghusband’s experiences are interesting, but I have read and listened to many books about the women who were the intelligence behind many defense systems during WWII, and so though there was some detail here that I had not known about before, much of what is described (certainly, the Blitz, which we read about in so many books and see in so many films) I am quite familiar with. Nevertheless, her personal perspective was certainly interesting and told well. The narrator did a fine job (but she needn’t pause so much between sentences). I recommend this book to anyone who has interest in WWII history, and particularly the contribution of women, which was never appreciated enough or rewarded enough (such as, at the end, she mentions that men who served in the Royal Air Force were given opportunities to go to university but the women were not).

Enlightening

I was drawn to this memoir because my dad was a radar teacher and navigator during WW2. The author's positive, inquisitive and flexible approach to opportunities enabled her to make numerous contributions to the British war effort. The excellent narration brings her rewarding and distressing experiences to life. I enjoyed learning about daily life in England during WW2 and how women's skills in languages and mathematics were effectively utilized for war efforts.