Margaret Pawley was born in Germany to British parents, she moved back to England in her childhood. During the war her father recommended she sign up for the SEO (Secret Operations Executive), thinking her ability to speak German would make her a great asset. She interviewed at Baker street and was accepted, she completed 8 days of training at the FANY cipher school before being sent to Cairo. She worked in the signals office for a while before being sent to Italy. She was stationed there for a couple of months, before someone noticed she could speak German, because of this, she was transferred to an intelligence branch where she began to listen and decode German transmissions so that she could track their movements.

Margaret reflects on the highs and lows of her wartime experience. Deadly illnesses were very common, and she recalls many of her comrades died to sickness. She herself suffered ringworm and jaundice due to the lack of fresh food. However, she also cherishes the friendships she made and the support among her peers. She continued her duties until the war’s end, she was sent to Scotland to assist the injured before being demobbed in December.

She recalls how the FANYs began and the different roles these women had throughout the years. She talks about how it developed into the SOE and how the FANYs were used as a cover for its female operatives. The role of the FANYs was recognised by Major-General Sir Colin McVean Gubbins, acknowledging he couldn’t have run the SOE without the women of FANY.