Page 73 - All About History - Issue 27-15

FORGOTTEN HEROES OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Elspeth Henderson

NATIONALITY: SCOTTISH RANK: CORPORAL, WOMEN’S AUXILIARY AIR FORCE (WAAF)
The wee young woman from Edinburgh who proved she
wasasbraveasanyman
Without women like stationed, was under daily attack.
Elspeth Henderson On 30 August, one raid hit a shelter
04 and the Dowding there killing 39 and entombing many
System that she others. Henderson was among the first
helped operate, to start digging them out.
Fighter Command The following day, as she was
would have soon succumbed to the managing the phones in the
mighty Luftwaffe. operations room, the bombers
Named after Air Chief Marshall returned. This time they scored a
Hugh Dowding, the system was direct hit on the building that she was
the world’s first ground-controlled in. It was engulfed in flames, and the
interception network. It linked survivors were ordered to evacuate
observation posts and newly immediately. Henderson, however,
developed radar stations via phone remained at her post and continued to
lines to airfields and anti-aircraft pass on vital information. Only when
batteries. Its ability to forewarn of the smoke became overwhelming did
attacks meant already overstretched the young Scot go about her escape
squadrons didn’t need to constantly via a shattered window as bombs
patrol the skies but could instead exploded all around her.
be scrambled in a heartbeat. Its role Just six women in the WAAF won
was to prove pivotal and people like the Military Medal during the war.
27-year-old Henderson soon found Henderson was one of them. Her
Henderson with Air Chief Marshall Dowding. themselves on the front line. citation noted that she’d been awarded
Houses now stand where RAF Biggin Hill once did, Towards the end of August, RAF it for displaying “courage of an
and Henderson has a road there named after her
Biggin Hill, where Henderson was exemplary order.”
THE
BATTLE OF

BRITAIN
AT A GLANCE

Spitfire Mk1A
ENGINE ROLLS-ROYCE MERLIN
1800HPV12MKIII
WINGSPAN 36FT 10IN/11.23M
MAX SPEED 362MPH/582KMH
ARMAMENT 8X.303
BROWNINGMKIIMACHINEGUNS
RANGE 425M/680KM

Messerschmitt
Bf 109E:
ENGINE DAIMLER-BENZ 1200HP
V12 605D
WINGSPAN 33FT/9.91M
MAX SPEED 343MPH/553KMH
ARMAMENT 1X30MMMK108
CANNON,2X13MMMG17
MACHINE GUNS
RANGE 410M/660KM

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