ARTEFACT of WAR
WAAF SERVICE RECORD
The discharge papers of a WWII radar operator illustrate the vital role of women in Britain’s air defence
Isobel ‘Betty’ Ping was just 20 when she travelled to London and volunteered for war service in 1940. At her assessment, she hoped to join the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), but she was instead allocated to a new top -secret radar operator role with the Women’s Auxiliar y Air Force (WAAF). Often staffed by WAAF members, Britain’s radar network transformed its air defence capabilities, giving RAF fighter pilots real-time intelligence on raiding Luftwaffe aircraft.