In 1941, Beryl Baxter, a dressmaker from Grimsby, signed up to do her bit in the Battle of Britain. She was to serve as a plotter as aircraftswoman in the WAAF and, upon discharge in 1949 she began life as a welfare worker for the Women's Voluntary Service. Her postings included the Korean War, Japan, Hong Kong and Iraq. Throughout these years of service she fulfilled the roles of mother, sister and girlfriend to thousands of servicemen, both conscripts and regulars.

Presenting a dramatic narrative from several theaters of war, this book recalls Beryl's life, based on a large archive of letters and documents that she preserved, allowing the reader to go on these journeys to war alongside a brave and enterprising independent woman.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 The WAAF
• Chapter 2 In the Operations Room
• Chapter 3 Away to the Far East and Back
• Chapter 4 A German Interlude
• Chapter 5 The WVS
• Chapter 6 The Momentous Year
• Chapter 7 Clearing
• Chapter 8 Beryl Takes Stock: Kowloon
• Chapter 9 With the WVS at RAF Habbaniya
• Conclusions
• A Postscript on the Archive
• Acknowledgements
• Bibliography and Sources
• Plates