This is a sweeping statement that could be challenged in a number of particulars, but it contains a central truth: that, in 1939, there were to all intents and purposes no women in British intelligence, whether ‘special’ (secret) intelligence, or military. Dr Miller goes on to say that, by 1939: ‘However much they did not want to, the British intelligence services had no choice but to turn to women to fill positions that were at the risk of being left empty if kept only for men.’
This is what the book is about, specifically those women in RAF blue who made it possible for the ‘Few’—Churchill’s description of Fighter Command’s pilots—to win the Battle of Britain. Further, they expanded into every area of RAF intelligence and beyond, into the likes of Bletchley Park and the Special Operations Executive, Churchill’s initiative to ‘set Europe ablaze’.
The Women Behind the Few, Sarah-Louise Miller (Biteback, £25)
Denne historien er fra March 08, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 08, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
