The WAAF at war

Members of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force played a vital role in supporting the operations of the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain and thereafter but their story has not received the attention it deserves.In The WAAF at War, highly experienced author John Frayn Turner has addressed this serious oversight by capturing the indomitable spirit of the thousands of youngwomen who made up the WAAF.

He vividly describes the diverse roles played by members of this highly respected organization, both on the ground at air stations and in control bunkers, reading radar monitors or plotting the course of air operations.In addition WAAF pilots were released to the Air Transport Auxiliary to deliver aircraft to front line units and flew all types of aircraft, often with minimal training, regardless of weather.

Their adventures make for excellent reading.Most poignant are the hazardous exploits of those WAAF who volunteered for SOE.

Perhaps the best known of these incredibly gallant girls is Noor Inayat-Khan GC who was executed at Dachau in 1944 but there were many others whose stories are told here.A long overdue tribute to the courage and war-winning contribution of all its members, The WAAF at War will appeal particularly to air historians and those who were members of or are proud to be descended from members of the WAAF.