Mills, Jean Hilda (Oral history)

British aircraftwoman served as plotter with Women's Auxiliary Air Force at RAF Duxford, GB, 1940-1941; NCO served as tracer at Headquarters, Fighter Command, RAF Bentley Priory, Stanmore, GB, 1942-1943; officer served with Balloon Command, RAF at RAF Gravesend, GB, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment and training with Women's Auxiliary Air Force in GB, 6/1940-8/1940: background to enlistment in Women's Auxiliary Air Force, 6/1940; prior reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; amusing story of medical; training at RAF West Drayton, 8/1940; mealtime arrangements; pyscholoical testing; training as plotter at RAF Leighton Buzzard, 8/1940; emphasis on security; description of plotting map; method of plotting aircraft; intensity of plotting work. Recollections of period as plotter at RAF Duxford in GB, 1940-1941 including Battle of Britain: posting to RAF Duxford, 8/1940; reaction of station personnel to arrival of Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel; reaction to sight of fatal aircraft crash, 8/1940; sense of threat to GB during Battle of Britain; sense of inevitability of victory; lack of media exposure during Battle of Britain; family's air raid precautions in Harrow; air raid precautions at RAF Duxford. REEL 2 Continues: move of Operations Room and Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel to Sawston Hall, early 1941; accommodation and living conditions at Sawston Hall; problems with transport and safeness of hitch-hiking; recreational activities in Cambridge; story of problem finding accommodation during German Air Force attack on London; Women's Auxiliary Air Force discipline; memories of Douglas Bader; commitment to pilots plotted; effect of casualties on morale of Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel; listening to pilot's remarks during operations; command structure in plotting room; memories of controller Wing Commander Alfred Woodhall. Aspects of period as tracer with Headquarters, Fighter Command, RAF Bentley Priory, Stanmore, GB, 1941-1943: posting to headquarters; description of underground operations control room; purpose of filter room. REEL 3 Continues: transfer to tracer work; work during Channel Dash, 2/1942; reasons why she wanted to go into tracing work; sight of Richard Hillary on visit to operations room; plotting work during heavy German Air Force raids; lack of prejudice against female personnel and sense that women needed for war effort; social life. Aspects of period as officer with Balloon Command, RAF at RAF Gravesend, GB, 1944-1945: initial reaction to posting, 6/1944; deployment of barrage balloons to South East England to combat German V1 Flying Bombs; circumstances of her taking over catering organisation; effectiveness of balloons against German V1 Flying Bombs; problems with high winds; morale during V weapon campaign.