WOMEN & WAR

A new exhibition at Biggin Hill Memorial Museum commemorates women's contribution to the RAF and the defence of the United Kingdom during the darkest hours of World War II

That the heroic role of women during the Second World War should be commemorated in a new exhibition at the Biggin Hill Memorial Museum seems particularly appropriate. Most famous for its role as one of the key fighter stations during the Battle of Britain, RAF Biggin Hill also saw the award of three Military Medals to WAAFs who were stationed there during the battle. Elizabeth 'Joan' Mortimer, Elspeth Henderson and Helen Turner were all recognised for their brave actions for staying at their posts during the Luftwaffe attack on the airfield on 30 August 1940 which killed 39 people.

However, the new exhibition is as much about the unsung female heroes of wartime as it is about those who were formally recognised for their bravery.

Constructed around the old St George's Chapel (originally the station church and a memorial to those who lost their lives flying from the airfield) the museum opened in 2015 and focusses on the human experience of war and of life during wartime at and around what is arguably the most famous fighter station in the world. With its immersive and interactive displays, that story is told through a remarkable collection of exhibits and artefacts tracing the station's fascinating story through war and peace. Now, that story has been enhanced by the new exhibition Women & War: Hidden Heroes of World War II.

One of the special features of the exhibition is a focus on the astonishing work and bravery of the female pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), with 168 of these remarkable women delivering fighters, bombers and training aircraft to airfields up and down the country during the Second World War. One of these female pilots was the late Jackie Moggridge, and now her smart ATA uniform and flying logbooks (which record no less than 1,438 delivery flights of 89 different aircraft types) are central to the Biggin Hill exhibition.