The Women Behind the Few : The Women's Auxiliary Air Force and British Intelligence during the Second World War

‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.’

The courageous pilots of the Royal Air Force who faced the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, affectionately known as ‘the Few’, are rightly hailed as heroes. Recently, efforts have been made to recognise the thousands who supported RAF operations behind the scenes. And yet one group remains missing from the narrative: the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force.

The Women Behind the Few explores the Second World War from the perspective of the WAAFs working behind the scenes to collect and disseminate vital intelligence – intelligence that resulted in Allied victory.

WAAFs worked within the Dowding System, the world’s most sophisticated air defence network, as well as in the Y Service, intercepting German communications. Throughout the Blitz, they used radar to aid Fighter and Bomber Commands in protecting Britain’s civilians.

WAAFs also assisted with the Allied offensive bombing campaign and were behind the discovery of the terrifying German V-weapons. Their work was critical ahead of the Normandy landings and they were present in their hundreds at Bletchley Park.

In this thrilling book, Sarah-Louise Miller brings the women of the force back to life, celebrating their wartime contribution to British military intelligence. Hidden behind the Few but vital to their success, WAAFs supplied the RAF with life-saving information. Here, for the first time, is their story.