Yvonne Baseden’s remarkable wartime experience began with her service in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). While working at the Directorate of Allied Air Cooperation and Foreign Liaison, she met Pearl Witherington, who—unknown to Yvonne—was an agent for the Special Operations Executive (SOE). It was this connection that Yvonne believes led to her being recruited by the SOE.  Due to the SOE’s covert nature, Yvonne was officially attached to the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), a common practice for female agents during World War II. Bilingual in English and French, she was considered a natural fit for operations in occupied France. Her first mission involved parachuting into France as a wireless operator to assist the French Resistance. However, after successfully completing Operation Cadillac—a major arms drop supporting liberation efforts—her location was compromised. Captured and transferred to Dijon prison, she was interrogated and faced threats of being sent to Gestapo headquarters in Paris. Despite this, Yvonne never revealed her true identity as an English agent, maintaining her cover as a French Resistance fighter.  Instead of being sent to Paris, Yvonne was transferred to Ravensbrück, the largest female-only concentration camp. She recalls the pressure of concealing her SOE status, aware that other female English agents in the camp had been executed. Fortunately, Yvonne was rescued by the Swedish Red Cross in the final days of the war and taken to Malmö, Sweden for recovery before safely returning home. 

Terence Crowley was an aircraft engine fitter during the Berlin Airlift. He was stationed at RAF Uetersen near Hamburg. Upon joining the RAF in 1946, Terence was sent to north Yorkshire and commenced his role working on Vickers Wellington twin engine bombers. After gaining valuable experience, familiarising himself with the aircraft and completing training with high marks, he was posted to several difference locations throughout England. This range of postings took him to RAF bases from the west midlands to Bedfordshire and ultimately to Norfolk where he began work overhauling Lancaster bombers. Speaking with great humour Terence recalls how, having never flown before, he was unexpectedly required to became part of a crew for a test flight of a Lancaster bomber which he himself had been responsible for fitting the engines in. Shortly afterwards, he was dispatched to Germany, working on a variety of planes from communication aircraft to any aircraft needing attention during the Berlin Airlift. He recollects many fond memories of his time in Germany, including mixing with fellow workers from Germany and America, ballroom dancing and delivering newspapers to Berlin. In addition to his role as engine fitter, Terence was given added responsibilities including tanker driver and VIP fitter, looking after both dignitaries and their planes. He talks knowledgably about the daily wider operations of the RAF and reflects on the deep sadness of discovering a colleague had been lost at sea. Terence felt relief when the air lift was over but commends the efforts of all involved in a project he remarks as being “well worth doing”.