About

I have always loved history, so when (years ago) I taught French A Level, it was natural for me to choose to teach the topic France under the Occupation. In exploring this I started to read about the French Resistance and some of its larger-than-life heroes such as Jean Moulin and the Aubracs.

Years later, in 2018, when I moved with my husband to West Sussex, I began volunteering at the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum and was particularly drawn to the section on the Special Duties (Moonlight) Squadrons and the agents they delivered to, and retrieved from, France. I became fascinated with their stories especially when I realised that the celebrated hero Jean Moulin himself had once landed here.

Having given up work (to facilitate the move to Sussex to be nearer to my ageing father) I had the time to research the secret world and role of intelligence operations and operatives during World War Two as well as the role played by the RAF Special Duties Squadrons. These reading projects gave me a sense of purpose and fulfilment. At that time my husband ran a group for veterans at the local dementia hub. They met fortnightly and my husband would arrange for a speaker to come in and give them a short talk. Being an experienced and confident public speaker from various training and leadership roles I had held during my career, I became involved in this activity and then started giving talks in the evening.

These events were very popular and I was sorry when the decision was taken to discontinue them after the Covid Lockdown. I was delighted when other opportunities started to present themselves, allowing me to continue to share my passionate admiration for these remarkable men and women and to promote their oral history.