RESEARCHERS at a National Trust wartime museum near Pershore are hoping to capture memories before they are lost forever at a special photo sharing event.
The team at Croome’s RAF Defford Museum will hold a ‘Women Working at RAF Defford Research Project’ on Saturday, January 20 at Pershore Town Hall, where they hope to find out more about the 600 plus women who worked and served there, the various roles they played, and how it affected their lives.
The museum already features some women’s stories such as Audrey Rundell, who flew from RAF Defford, the once secret radar-research airfield during the Second World War, in a Wellington plane and was later awarded an MBE in recognition of her work on airborne radar applications.
Yet it is hoped that there are many more stories soon to be discovered.
The project is part of a wider celebration at Croome and throughout the National Trust during 2018, focusing on ‘Women and Power’.
Pauline Gardiner, who volunteers at Croome’s RAF Defford Museum and is the daughter of a wartime radar operator, said: “We know about some of the 600 plus women who worked at RAF Defford, but there are many more unknown stories to be revealed.
“We hope this event at Pershore Town Hall will help bring them to the surface.
“They carried out a wide range of jobs, from female boffins to cooks and cleaners. That generation was very reticent about their war experiences, but for many it was a life-changer. We’re really eager to find out more about them.”
The event will run from 10.30am to 2.30pm.
Croome’s park and lakeside are open from 10am to 5.30pm and Croome Court is open from 11am to 4.30pm every day.
Call the National Trust site on 01905 371006 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/croome to apply or for more information.
