The remarkable Women’s Auxiliary Air Force: 5 places that tell their story
Sarah-Louise Miller suggests five heritage sites and museums to visit to uncover the story of the unflappable women of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), whose work during the Second World War ensured success for many vital missions
We often hear about the role of the famous “few” in the Second World War – the pilots who protected the skies during the Battle of Britain. But the work of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, known as the WAAF, has somewhat slipped through the cracks. From roles as courageous secret agents to the unflustered women behind the Dambusters raid, these women conducted vital work under immense pressure to ensure success for some of the war’s most pressing missions. Speaking on the HistoryExtra podcast, Sarah-Louise Miller shared some of the most interesting places to visit in the UK which bring their story to light…
Imperial War Museum, London
Sarah says: “The Imperial War Museum is fantastic, and it has multiple sites. The London site is a good place to learn about the Second World War in general, and to give you context and information on the roles that women played, including the Special Operations Executive.”
Imperial War Museum, Duxford
Sarah says: “The Imperial War Museum’s Duxford site, which is the Air Museum, has an actual operations room. You can see that big central map table that we all see in pictures and films. They also have a good simulation to show you what it would have been like – it's very atmospheric.
“So that's a fantastic place to go to learn more about what the WAAF did and how it would have felt on a daily basis. And, obviously, you can never pass up an excuse to hear a Spitfire flying overhead!”
Bentley Priory Museum, Stanmore
Sarah says: “Bentley Priory, which was the headquarters of Fighter Command during the Second World War, is a really good place for coming to understand the Dowding System – this was the integrated air defence system in which many of the WAAF worked. They have the actual rooms in which these women worked, with lots of fascinating objects, maps and things that you can look at. It’s a very good museum.”
Battle of Britain Bunker, Uxbridge
Sarah says: “There's also the Battle of Britain bunker in Uxbridge, which is exactly what it sounds like – it's a bunker underground, so again quite atmospheric. There's an actual operations room there too, which is very handy for helping to provide an idea of what this system was, how it functioned and the role the WAAF played within it.
“It's a really good idea to go to Bentley Priory first then Uxbridge’ bunker because you can get that sense of how they connect to each other and how the system kind of worked as a whole.”
Royal Air Force Museum, London
Sarah says: “The Royal Air Force Museum has lots of aircraft, but also some information on what happens in the background of air operations and the role women played through time.
“I would suggest going to the Royal Air Force Museum last, so you can look at context in terms of how things moved on from what happened in the Second World War. I think that it is a really nice way of bringing your understanding up to date, from what happened in the Second World War to the way it evolved to what we see and do now in aerial warfare.”
Dr Sarah-Louise Miller is a historian of war and conflict, specialising in the Second World War and the use of military intelligence. She was speaking with Emily Briffett on the HistoryExtra podcast, delving into impactful roles played by the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during the Second World War. Hear more from this conversation in the full the podcast episode, released 18 July 2023 on all podcast platforms.
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