Eileen Younghusband

Second World War

HA

Eileen Younghusband (née Le Croissette) served as a WAAF during the Second World War, where her mathematical skills helped her play a crucial role in foiling German V-2 bombs. Born 4 July 1921 in London, Younghusband volunteered for service with the WAAF when she was 19 in 1941. Training as a Filter Officer at RAF Innsworth and RAF Leighton Buzzard, she was initially sent to 10 Group at RAF Rudloe Manor. Here, she was deployed as a Filter Officer and was responsible for assessing information gained from Chain Home radar stations – work that proved crucial in defending Britain and warning against air raids.

Younghusband soon transferred to Headquarters Fighter Command at RAF Bentley Priory.  In 1944, she was posted to RAF Tactical Air Force at Mechelen in Belgium, where she worked alongside a group of women to detect the mobile launchers of V-2 rockets aimed at London and Antwerp. Younghusband remained in this post until the end of the war.

In summer 1945, she was seconded to Breendonk concentration camp, where she acted as a guide and interpreter, expressing the realities of war to RAF personnel.  In December 1945, she resigned from her commission.  Given the nature of her work, Younghusband had to sign the Official Secrets Act, whereby she was unable to speak of her wartime work for 30 years.

After the act had lifted, however, she began to speak openly about her wartime experiences. In particular, Younghusband highlighted the contribution made by ‘ordinary’ men and women who worked within the Dowding System.  She published a range of books detailing her wartime contribution, including One Woman’s War, published in 2016. The book was later adapted to be suitable for children in order to engage younger generations. 

At the age of 87, Younghusband gained a degree from the Open University. She became an advocate for adult education, campaigning against cuts to this area, and was subsequently awarded a British Empire Medal in 2013 for services to lifelong learning. 

Younghusband died on 2 September 2016 in Cardiff.