As an evacuee, Frances McLaren was unable to go to university after leaving school at 18. Instead, on the advice of a friend’s father, she joined the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment, and so began her remarkable career. After completing her training, Frances started off in the lab, working on the development of hull launching tanks on seaplanes and landplanes, before progressing to flight tests in the Sunderland flying boats. Her career went from strength to strength and she talks in detail about her central role in one of Britain’s greatest bombing missions, the Dambusters Raid, and her work on the top-secret Highball (bouncing bomb) experiments. Frances was also involved in other experimental projects including those focused on survival, with one in particular being the development of flotation devices for planes ditching in water. She recalls with humour how she had to cajole others into joining her on some of her test missions. Frances’ extraordinary story provides an eye-opening insight into the myriad ways women played an active role in the war effort, sometimes at the cutting edge of innovation and development.

Content warning//

This interview contains discussions of sensitive topics such as PTSD, depression and suicidal thoughts which some viewers may find distressing.

If you are affected by these topics, please consider seeking support from a trusted person or organisation.

  Linda Rudkin’s husband Colin served with the Royal Green Jackets in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. What happened to him there has stayed with him all his life. Watch as Linda describes how Colin's experiences there led to PTSD, and their fight to get the right treatment for him As if their situation wasn't difficult enough already, now the Government's legacy enquiries are adding unwanted stress.

When WW2 started Elvira Burbeck was suddenly out of work and looking for something new to do, so she joined the Ministry of Labour. A friend recommended she join the FANYs (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry). However, as Alvira was in a protected job, she was rejected. She tried again, this time with help from a colleague, and was accepted, and within a month she was sent to Algiers, Algeria. When she arrived in Oran, Algeria, the danger set in, as she was told they would have to go by train to Algiers to avoid any U-boats in the area. Her group decided to fly, which was very exciting for Elvira, as it was her first time in a Mitchell Bomber aircraft. When she arrived in Massingham, Algeria, she worked for an Intelligence officer, processing intelligence coming in from France. Elvria’s role in Massingham involved getting agents ready to be sent into France. She made sure the agents were in the right clothes, and made sure the agents knew how to act when they landed. Elvira was posted there for 10 months. After this, she had several postings in: Rome, Algiers, Italy, Canada, and Sri Lanka. Whilst in Italy, she was involved in finding road and rail targets for agents to bomb. After the war she was offered a job with the Foreign Office in Rome, but she turned it down, hoping to be posted to Bangkok instead. After thinking about it, she accepted the post and the Italians get back on their feet. Overall, she remembers the niceness of everybody, and the joy of working with such nice people during a very serious time. She recalls never feeling like she was at a disadvantage, everyone was valid and everyone’s contribution mattered. Elvira remembers a funny story about a poisonous snake ending up in a lavatory whilst based at Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and the chaos that followed.