“The efficiency of the RAF was maintained and often increased [in WW2] because of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, especially in helping to win the Battle of Britain.”

In this special episode, celebrating International Women’s Day 2021, we speak to Sarah-Louise Miller, a doctoral candidate in the Department of War Studies, about her research on the incredible intelligence work conducted by the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAF) during WW2, and how their work set a precedence for women’s roles in security and intelligence going forwards.

We discuss why their efforts behind integral successful RAF operations, which contributed to the overall Allied war victory, remain hidden even up until today, the outstanding bravery they showed in the face of danger and how they survived and thrived in a ‘man’s world’ despite the highly repressive gender norms of the time.