Pam Ayres

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0:00:03 > 0:00:06It's 100 years since the first pioneering women

0:00:06 > 0:00:07joined the British Armed Forces.

0:00:10 > 0:00:12Today, women serve alongside men,

0:00:12 > 0:00:15together in combat, on the front line.

0:00:16 > 0:00:19If you can do it and you want to do it, you should be able to.

0:00:19 > 0:00:21To see how much things have changed...

0:00:21 > 0:00:23- Love it!- How do I look?

0:00:23 > 0:00:26..five well-known faces revisit either their own...

0:00:26 > 0:00:29- Morning, ma'am, I'm the captain of...- You called me ma'am, how sweet!

0:00:29 > 0:00:32..or a family member's military past.

0:00:32 > 0:00:35They just got stuck in.

0:00:35 > 0:00:37It was exciting.

0:00:37 > 0:00:38Always intense.

0:00:40 > 0:00:41From defending land...

0:00:43 > 0:00:45- ..sea... - I don't want to go that way.

0:00:45 > 0:00:49..and air, these are the extraordinary stories of a century

0:00:49 > 0:00:51of women at war.

0:00:57 > 0:01:01Today, 52 years after joining the Women's Royal Air Force,

0:01:01 > 0:01:04poet and entertainer Pam Ayres discovers if she's still got

0:01:04 > 0:01:08the skills to tackle aerial intelligence...

0:01:08 > 0:01:10Why do I feel a sense of creeping dread, Mike?

0:01:12 > 0:01:15..as she revisits a career that took her to the Far East

0:01:15 > 0:01:17and ignited her passion for performing.

0:01:17 > 0:01:18Oh, my!

0:01:18 > 0:01:22Pam will meet one of the first women to fly a military plane...

0:01:22 > 0:01:27I flew all single-seater fighters and what they called light twins.

0:01:29 > 0:01:31What was your favourite aircraft to fly?

0:01:31 > 0:01:33Oh, the Spit, obviously.

0:01:33 > 0:01:36..and see how much has changed for those serving today...

0:01:37 > 0:01:40I just think if you can do it and you want to do it,

0:01:40 > 0:01:41you should be able to.

0:01:41 > 0:01:45..before experiencing first-hand the thrill and the fear

0:01:45 > 0:01:48faced by the aircrew who take to the skies.

0:01:48 > 0:01:50I'm not as brave as I used to be.

0:01:50 > 0:01:53I used to be bold, I was up for anything,

0:01:53 > 0:01:56and now I'm a bit more cautious.

0:01:56 > 0:01:57What if it all goes wrong?

0:02:04 > 0:02:09It was 1975 when opportunity knocked on the door of comic poet Pam Ayres.

0:02:09 > 0:02:12Her witty prose and songs struck a chord with the nation

0:02:12 > 0:02:14and she was catapulted into the world of showbiz.

0:02:17 > 0:02:20# Like a Cheshire cat I'm good with a grin. #

0:02:21 > 0:02:25But before Pam discovered the career that made her a household name,

0:02:25 > 0:02:28she served for four years in the Women's Royal Air Force

0:02:28 > 0:02:31in the late 1960s.

0:02:31 > 0:02:33Lie down and rolly over.

0:02:33 > 0:02:36Good dog! Good doggie, yeah! What a star!

0:02:38 > 0:02:42Now, regular walks with her dog around the airstrip at a disused RAF base

0:02:42 > 0:02:46near her home offers time to reflect on the force in which she served.

0:02:48 > 0:02:50Well, without sounding melodramatic,

0:02:50 > 0:02:54I feel the weight of the sadness of this place when I'm here

0:02:54 > 0:02:58that so many young men in the prime of life went down these runways

0:02:58 > 0:03:00and never came back. That's what I feel.

0:03:00 > 0:03:03But I like being here as well because I was in the WRAF

0:03:03 > 0:03:07and it reminds me of happy times that I had as well.

0:03:07 > 0:03:08When I was in Singapore,

0:03:08 > 0:03:13I used to have to ride my bike every morning over to work and,

0:03:13 > 0:03:15I don't know, I just sort of like runways.

0:03:15 > 0:03:20It's lovely and fresh and there's a great big sky and it's a soothing

0:03:20 > 0:03:25sort of place. I've got a very happy dog when I'm here as well.

0:03:25 > 0:03:26Lots of things to sniff.

0:03:29 > 0:03:32Pam was born just after the Second World War

0:03:32 > 0:03:35and was the youngest of six children.

0:03:35 > 0:03:39During the war, her father served in the Grenadier Guards, but like many,

0:03:39 > 0:03:44he rarely spoke of his experiences, which included fighting at one of

0:03:44 > 0:03:46the conflict's most decisive battles.

0:03:46 > 0:03:49He was always very proud of the Grenadier Guards.

0:03:49 > 0:03:51Whenever he saw them on the telly when he was older,

0:03:51 > 0:03:53he'd say, "Oh, there's some smart old boys,

0:03:53 > 0:03:55"look at them smart old boys."

0:03:56 > 0:04:00But he didn't actually go into much detail about what he did.

0:04:00 > 0:04:02I know he was at the Falaise Gap.

0:04:02 > 0:04:04I know he said the stench was terrible

0:04:04 > 0:04:06because they were trapped there, weren't they?

0:04:06 > 0:04:10Horses and men and there was a great deal of death there

0:04:10 > 0:04:12and Dad said you had to hold your breath there.

0:04:12 > 0:04:15He just said little things like that that made you think the experiences

0:04:15 > 0:04:17had been ghastly.

0:04:18 > 0:04:22It was during the 1950s, when Pam watched her brothers leave for

0:04:22 > 0:04:26National Service, that her eyes were first opened to the positive

0:04:26 > 0:04:29opportunities that came with a life in the military.

0:04:29 > 0:04:31They got a lot out of it.

0:04:31 > 0:04:32They travelled at no cost to themselves,

0:04:32 > 0:04:35they made a lot of friends, they had good experiences.

0:04:35 > 0:04:38They'd go off looking like my brothers and they would come back

0:04:38 > 0:04:40carrying a kitbag with a shaven head.

0:04:40 > 0:04:43I waited until the contents of the kitbag were unpacked because they

0:04:43 > 0:04:45always brought you a present, you know?

0:04:45 > 0:04:49They were like something from paradise, really,

0:04:49 > 0:04:50they were so exotic.

0:04:50 > 0:04:55Exotic as it was, it seemed off-limits to girls.

0:04:55 > 0:04:57It was just something that the boys did, you know,

0:04:57 > 0:04:59all the men went off and did National Service.

0:04:59 > 0:05:02I didn't ever think about doing something like that myself

0:05:02 > 0:05:05until I was considerably older

0:05:05 > 0:05:08and bored out of my skull with the job I was doing.

0:05:10 > 0:05:13Luckily, times were changing.

0:05:13 > 0:05:14When the '60s hit,

0:05:14 > 0:05:17so did the liberation of women from domestic life.

0:05:17 > 0:05:21And like many girls of her generation, Pam was ready to grab

0:05:21 > 0:05:24any opportunity on offer with both hands.

0:05:24 > 0:05:28One day I saw an advert for the Women's Royal Air Force.

0:05:28 > 0:05:33And it was very persuasive and it said, you know, "Life of excitement,

0:05:33 > 0:05:34"join the Women's Royal Air Force."

0:05:34 > 0:05:39I hoped for cheap travel, well, free travel, let's not mince words,

0:05:39 > 0:05:44and I hoped to see the world and meet different people

0:05:44 > 0:05:48and break out and do the things that young people wanted to do.

0:05:50 > 0:05:54At the age of 18, Pam visited the local RAF recruitment office

0:05:54 > 0:05:57and was swiftly accepted for the Women's Royal Air Force.

0:05:59 > 0:06:03My dad was horrified when I talked to him about it.

0:06:03 > 0:06:06Mum was lovely. She said, "You do what you want, my gal," she said,

0:06:06 > 0:06:10because she would always let you do what you wanted to do.

0:06:10 > 0:06:12But my dad was horrified.

0:06:12 > 0:06:16My dad said, "You'll be throwing away the best years of your life."

0:06:16 > 0:06:19I'll never forget what he said.

0:06:19 > 0:06:23But anyway, they didn't feel like the best years of my life, they didn't.

0:06:26 > 0:06:29As it did for Pam, the military offered a gateway into a life

0:06:29 > 0:06:32of adventure and real purpose for many young women.

0:06:32 > 0:06:34But over the years, not every parent

0:06:34 > 0:06:37has shared their daughter's enthusiasm for joining up.

0:06:42 > 0:06:46My father was absolutely livid.

0:06:46 > 0:06:50I won't tell you what he said but he was very angry.

0:06:50 > 0:06:51It took him a while to speak to me after that.

0:06:51 > 0:06:55My father was in the First World War

0:06:55 > 0:06:59and he understood perfectly why I wanted to join up.

0:06:59 > 0:07:01They didn't want me to be a balloon operator

0:07:01 > 0:07:03because they thought that you needed muscles

0:07:03 > 0:07:07and they didn't want their daughter with big muscles.

0:07:07 > 0:07:10I won't tell you what exactly my father said

0:07:10 > 0:07:12because it was probably quite rude.

0:07:12 > 0:07:16But the others were fine, because my stepmother was in the WAAF

0:07:16 > 0:07:18during the Second World War as well.

0:07:18 > 0:07:21Initially my parents were a little bit concerned,

0:07:21 > 0:07:24but fully supportive all the way through my career.

0:07:24 > 0:07:27I wouldn't have been where I am now if it wasn't for their support.

0:07:30 > 0:07:33Against the backdrop of the Cold War,

0:07:33 > 0:07:37Pam joined the Women's Royal Air Force in 1965,

0:07:37 > 0:07:39a time when Britain's military were involved in conflicts

0:07:39 > 0:07:43and decolonisation throughout Africa and Asia.

0:07:43 > 0:07:45But before Pam could play her part,

0:07:45 > 0:07:47she had to get through basic training.

0:07:50 > 0:07:54When I joined, you had six weeks stomping around RAF Spitalgate

0:07:54 > 0:07:58and being shouted at because you hadn't laid out your clothes

0:07:58 > 0:08:00properly on the bed and put your belt here

0:08:00 > 0:08:03and, oh, I don't know, it seemed like nonsense to me.

0:08:03 > 0:08:07So I was a bit appalled by the power they had over you and how they could

0:08:07 > 0:08:09make your life even more miserable than it was.

0:08:09 > 0:08:12Then this woman came in with this

0:08:12 > 0:08:15awful pair of black, lace-up,

0:08:15 > 0:08:18austere, ugly shoes and she said,

0:08:18 > 0:08:21"Now I'm going to show you how to clean your shoes in the way that

0:08:21 > 0:08:26"they have to be cleaned." And she hoiked up a great gob of spit

0:08:26 > 0:08:31and spat at the shoe and then she got a dollop of polish on the cloth

0:08:31 > 0:08:35and went round and round in little circles and she did it

0:08:35 > 0:08:38for a long time until it came up to this mirror-like shine

0:08:38 > 0:08:39and she showed us and said,

0:08:39 > 0:08:42"All right, that's what I want you to do all over your shoes -

0:08:42 > 0:08:44"the whole of the shoe has to look like this."

0:08:44 > 0:08:48My jaw dropped and I thought, why?

0:08:50 > 0:08:52Pam survived her basic training

0:08:52 > 0:08:55and went on to specialise in aerial intelligence.

0:08:55 > 0:08:58Her job was to analyse and plot the photographs taken by

0:08:58 > 0:09:00RAF surveillance planes.

0:09:02 > 0:09:07You would have to identify where it was and the scale of it.

0:09:09 > 0:09:10That was very hard.

0:09:11 > 0:09:14Pam was known as a plotter. The base where she trained

0:09:14 > 0:09:17is no longer operational, so she's on her way to

0:09:17 > 0:09:20RAF Marham in Norfolk to see how

0:09:20 > 0:09:23the role she didn't always relish has changed.

0:09:23 > 0:09:28I'm not particularly looking forward to seeing all that equipment again

0:09:28 > 0:09:31and all that stuff that made me so miserable.

0:09:31 > 0:09:35I dare say it will be much more modern now but oh, God, I hated it.

0:09:36 > 0:09:41Marham is home to the RAF's Tornado GR4 Force and one of

0:09:41 > 0:09:45the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance wings.

0:09:45 > 0:09:47Before Pam gets down to business,

0:09:47 > 0:09:50a Flight Lieutenant at the base wants to show her the type of plane

0:09:50 > 0:09:55that was crucial to the work she did during her time in the forces.

0:09:55 > 0:09:57This is the Canberra. This is in the photographic role,

0:09:57 > 0:10:00the PR9, and the bomb bay under there with the camera pods.

0:10:00 > 0:10:02With all the cameras mounted.

0:10:02 > 0:10:06When I went to Bassingbourn to do the course to become a plotter,

0:10:06 > 0:10:09I was thrilled to bits because there were Canberra aircraft,

0:10:09 > 0:10:11they were going over all the time,

0:10:11 > 0:10:16they were going around on exciting curves and the noise and the pilots,

0:10:16 > 0:10:17it felt like the real thing.

0:10:17 > 0:10:20- Proper Air Force?- Yeah, absolutely, yeah, the proper Air Force.

0:10:20 > 0:10:22That's how it felt.

0:10:22 > 0:10:26But it was a time when women were limited to ground-support roles,

0:10:26 > 0:10:29and this is the first time Pam has been up close to the aircraft

0:10:29 > 0:10:32that produced the photographs she plotted.

0:10:32 > 0:10:34Can you show me where the cameras were mounted, please?

0:10:34 > 0:10:37Yes, literally they were down just at the back here.

0:10:37 > 0:10:38Where exactly were they?

0:10:38 > 0:10:41- OK, the cameras were mounted in here in this bay here.- Yeah.

0:10:41 > 0:10:45And effectively, you've got the different aperture entrance here.

0:10:45 > 0:10:48Oh, I see, so there was a camera on every facet, was there?

0:10:48 > 0:10:50I'm not quite sure how the cameras worked

0:10:50 > 0:10:52but you could go to the oblique shot

0:10:52 > 0:10:54this way or vertical.

0:10:54 > 0:10:55Yeah, I see.

0:10:55 > 0:10:59This is where it all started then, and they ended up with me!

0:10:59 > 0:11:01LAUGHTER

0:11:01 > 0:11:08- NEWS ARCHIVE:- Pilots are off on a photographic reconnaissance raid over Germany.

0:11:08 > 0:11:10If you flew with them as a photographer,

0:11:10 > 0:11:11these are the sort of shots you would get.

0:11:12 > 0:11:16Women have played a significant role in interpreting aerial intelligence

0:11:16 > 0:11:19since they were first recruited during World War I.

0:11:21 > 0:11:24Alongside the men, their work provided key turning points

0:11:24 > 0:11:26in the outcome of both world wars.

0:11:28 > 0:11:31Assisting the so-called "spies in the sky",

0:11:31 > 0:11:33they were able to research locations,

0:11:33 > 0:11:36spot targets and track enemy movements.

0:11:37 > 0:11:42And in 1944, the intelligence gathered was crucial to the success

0:11:42 > 0:11:44of Operation Crossbow.

0:11:44 > 0:11:47It provided Allied forces with the details needed to carry out accurate

0:11:47 > 0:11:52bombing of German missile bases, saving countless British lives.

0:11:54 > 0:11:58Retired RAF Wing Commander Mike Mockford

0:11:58 > 0:12:02plotted air photography from 1952 to 1989

0:12:02 > 0:12:06and was responsible for training service men and women like Pam.

0:12:06 > 0:12:09These stereoscopes, which you have produced,

0:12:09 > 0:12:12are entirely familiar to me because I used to use these

0:12:12 > 0:12:16when I was a plotter, but the amazing thing and rather daunting

0:12:16 > 0:12:18thing is that they are now a museum piece.

0:12:18 > 0:12:20They are, very much, yes.

0:12:20 > 0:12:23I remember the first time I looked down through one of those,

0:12:23 > 0:12:24it took my breath away.

0:12:24 > 0:12:28- Yeah.- And it's such a simple-looking device.- It is.

0:12:28 > 0:12:31That goes back to World War I, that's called a Type D.

0:12:31 > 0:12:37- Right.- That was invented by a man called Hamshaw-Thomas in 1916 in Palestine.

0:12:37 > 0:12:40- Gosh!- I thought you might like to try some.

0:12:40 > 0:12:42- Oh, the thing was, I couldn't do it, Mike.- Couldn't you?

0:12:42 > 0:12:44- I was so hopeless.- Oh, was you?

0:12:44 > 0:12:45I was hopeless as a plotter.

0:12:45 > 0:12:49I should never have been anywhere near that drawing office.

0:12:49 > 0:12:51The only reason I was in a drawing office

0:12:51 > 0:12:54was because I went into the recruiting office in Reading

0:12:54 > 0:12:56and the Sergeant, Sergeant Cooper,

0:12:56 > 0:12:58who I've been looking for ever since with a bread knife...

0:12:58 > 0:13:02- Yes!- ..said to me, "What do you like doing?" he said.

0:13:02 > 0:13:03I said, "I like drawing."

0:13:03 > 0:13:05He said, "With your test results,

0:13:05 > 0:13:08"you could work in a drawing office" and I was so naive,

0:13:08 > 0:13:11I didn't realise there was such a vast difference between this sort of

0:13:11 > 0:13:14drawing and drawing a nice picture of a field with cows and trees.

0:13:14 > 0:13:18- Well, it really isn't that difficult.- Isn't it?

0:13:18 > 0:13:23I've brought a plotting square along and I thought you might like to have

0:13:23 > 0:13:25- a little look at a plot.- Right.

0:13:25 > 0:13:28Why do I feel a sense of creeping dread, Mike?

0:13:29 > 0:13:31Well, there's a map of Singapore.

0:13:31 > 0:13:33Oh, Singapore, of course, yeah.

0:13:33 > 0:13:37Remember Singapore? You may remember in the good old days,

0:13:37 > 0:13:39- you would have had a plotting square.- Yeah.

0:13:39 > 0:13:42And you had to match the square to the photograph.

0:13:42 > 0:13:44- Yes.- You had to find...

0:13:44 > 0:13:47- Where the photograph was. - Well, there's a bit of...

0:13:47 > 0:13:49Yeah, that's right. That little knobbly bit there

0:13:49 > 0:13:52- is probably that little knobbly bit there.- That's right.

0:13:52 > 0:13:56It's about a quarter of the way down. I'll shuffle it round a bit.

0:13:57 > 0:13:59When you hear a gasp, you'll know I've got it.

0:14:00 > 0:14:02Oh, yeah, OK, I got it.

0:14:02 > 0:14:04Oh, I've got it, I've got it.

0:14:04 > 0:14:06Oh, look.

0:14:06 > 0:14:08You're looking at the Singapore waterfront.

0:14:08 > 0:14:11- Yeah, I am. Boogie Street and all that, Mike.- That's it, yeah.

0:14:11 > 0:14:14Yeah, I can still do it after all these years.

0:14:14 > 0:14:15So, you haven't lost the touch?

0:14:15 > 0:14:16I haven't lost my touch.

0:14:16 > 0:14:20- They're recruiting. - LAUGHTER

0:14:20 > 0:14:22Do you think an old bird like me'd get in?

0:14:22 > 0:14:24- I don't think so. - Probably same problem I've got!

0:14:26 > 0:14:29Two years into her military career,

0:14:29 > 0:14:32Pam was posted to Singapore, where she plotted photographs of

0:14:32 > 0:14:37the thousands of miles of jungle in Malaysia and Indonesia.

0:14:37 > 0:14:42The data collected allowed the RAF to closely monitor communist forces

0:14:42 > 0:14:44that were active in the region.

0:14:44 > 0:14:47I think lots of people probably never appreciated how much

0:14:47 > 0:14:52plotting air photography was just a part of a very important operation.

0:14:52 > 0:14:55That's what you were doing. Very important,

0:14:55 > 0:14:58it's a key part of the reconnaissance cycle, if you like,

0:14:58 > 0:15:01and that was true for there or for JARIC UK,

0:15:01 > 0:15:05where you were doing the same thing on a worldwide basis.

0:15:05 > 0:15:10You were helping to record and catalogue and retain for future use

0:15:10 > 0:15:13the photography that was being flown.

0:15:13 > 0:15:17I feel much better about my contribution now, I do, yes.

0:15:17 > 0:15:19It's a very important part of it.

0:15:19 > 0:15:23- It's sort of reassuring to know that I was part of something that was... - Oh, you were.

0:15:23 > 0:15:26- ..doing something important. - Without a doubt, yes.

0:15:26 > 0:15:28Everyone who worked at JARIC did a very important job,

0:15:28 > 0:15:30even if they didn't know they did.

0:15:30 > 0:15:33Oh, that's really nice.

0:15:33 > 0:15:3652 years after joining the Women's Royal Air Force,

0:15:36 > 0:15:39Mike has finally given Pam a sense of her own place

0:15:39 > 0:15:41in the history of women in service.

0:15:41 > 0:15:46I thought I was a real duffer who didn't contribute anything but Mike

0:15:46 > 0:15:49was consoling about that and made me feel

0:15:49 > 0:15:51perhaps that wasn't so much the case.

0:15:51 > 0:15:55Maybe I did contribute something in my own way.

0:15:57 > 0:16:01Since the 1960s, technology has improved the capabilities

0:16:01 > 0:16:04of the RAF's intelligence teams.

0:16:04 > 0:16:07- Red on.- Red on. - Green on.- Green on.

0:16:07 > 0:16:09Right on, right up.

0:16:09 > 0:16:11- Roger that.- Roger.

0:16:11 > 0:16:14Today, analysts receive three-dimensional images

0:16:14 > 0:16:18taken by remote-controlled aircraft within minutes of it being shot.

0:16:20 > 0:16:23Like Pam, these women currently serving in the RAF

0:16:23 > 0:16:25also trained at Brampton.

0:16:27 > 0:16:29And Pam's keen to check out their footwear.

0:16:30 > 0:16:33The first thing I'm going to observe is your shoes,

0:16:33 > 0:16:35because they're very nice, elegant shoes.

0:16:35 > 0:16:37When I was in the WRAF, we had to wear

0:16:37 > 0:16:41these horrible, black, lace-up shoes and you flapped along in them

0:16:41 > 0:16:43like Minnie Mouse and I absolutely hated them.

0:16:43 > 0:16:44We get those ones as well.

0:16:44 > 0:16:46Do you? Are they still around?

0:16:46 > 0:16:48Yeah, but we also get these.

0:16:48 > 0:16:50- They are nice. - A little bit more feminine.

0:16:50 > 0:16:52You were at Brampton.

0:16:52 > 0:16:54We've both been based at Brampton as well.

0:16:54 > 0:16:56- Were you at Brampton at JARIC? - Yeah, yeah.- Yeah, I was.

0:16:56 > 0:16:58They've knocked it down now?

0:16:58 > 0:16:59They have, yes.

0:16:59 > 0:17:02I was always hoping they'd put a blue plaque on it, saying,

0:17:02 > 0:17:06"The terrific air photography plotter Pam Ayres worked here,"

0:17:06 > 0:17:09but sadly, not to be.

0:17:09 > 0:17:12- It's probably very different to when you were here...- I'm sure.

0:17:12 > 0:17:15- I hope it is.- ..and there's a lot of different jobs that we can do now

0:17:15 > 0:17:19and they're all very interesting. I think it does use your skills that

0:17:19 > 0:17:20you're trained to do, yeah.

0:17:20 > 0:17:23When I joined, it was the Women's Royal Air Force,

0:17:23 > 0:17:24which of course it's not today,

0:17:24 > 0:17:28is it just the RAF and it doesn't matter what gender you are?

0:17:28 > 0:17:30Yeah, exactly that.

0:17:30 > 0:17:33The only time you're separated is in your accommodation, that's it,

0:17:33 > 0:17:36so obviously the females are in a different block to all the males

0:17:36 > 0:17:39but other than that, you do all your training together.

0:17:39 > 0:17:43Do you? When you trained, when you first joined up,

0:17:43 > 0:17:46did you have to go and march around on parade squares and suchlike?

0:17:46 > 0:17:48- Yeah.- Yeah.- Yeah, with the boys as well.

0:17:48 > 0:17:49- With the boys?- Yeah, yeah.

0:17:49 > 0:17:51We did everything together.

0:17:51 > 0:17:54I'm not being nasty, but didn't it look a bit odd?

0:17:54 > 0:17:55If you've got a big tall man

0:17:55 > 0:17:58and then a petite lady, does that matter?

0:17:58 > 0:18:00- They kind of size you off. - Oh, do they?- Yeah.

0:18:00 > 0:18:04- You're graded according to size? - I'm always the smallest!

0:18:07 > 0:18:10These analysts are two of almost 5,000 women

0:18:10 > 0:18:12serving in the RAF today,

0:18:12 > 0:18:16each one tasked with a vital defence role.

0:18:16 > 0:18:20And like Pam, anyone serving in the intelligence arm of the force

0:18:20 > 0:18:22has signed the Official Secrets Act.

0:18:22 > 0:18:25So access to their work is strictly limited.

0:18:26 > 0:18:29Now this all looks a little more sophisticated

0:18:29 > 0:18:33than the kind of equipment I was dealing with in the '60s

0:18:33 > 0:18:36when I had a pen and a bottle of etching ink

0:18:36 > 0:18:38and a sheet of acetate, basically.

0:18:38 > 0:18:40If I'd only had all this stuff.

0:18:40 > 0:18:43Now, what's this? What are these for? They look really serious.

0:18:43 > 0:18:48They will turn the imagery 3-D so you'll be able to see it in stereo.

0:18:48 > 0:18:50Can I put these on? Does it matter which ones?

0:18:50 > 0:18:52- No, no.- OK. Right.

0:18:53 > 0:18:54Oh, wow, look at this.

0:18:56 > 0:18:59You see, you feel as though you're in an aircraft.

0:18:59 > 0:19:03You feel as though you're looking down out of an aircraft vertically

0:19:03 > 0:19:05and the tops of the trees seem so close

0:19:05 > 0:19:09and the aircraft seems so far away.

0:19:09 > 0:19:11Now, I mean, this is all so much more sophisticated than

0:19:11 > 0:19:12the work I was doing.

0:19:12 > 0:19:15I was just trying to record what photography we had,

0:19:15 > 0:19:20whereas you're looking to see what's in it, aren't you?

0:19:20 > 0:19:22We're looking at an airfield here.

0:19:22 > 0:19:27- Yeah.- And we could get asked a number of questions as to whether

0:19:27 > 0:19:31the airfield is serviceable, as to what aircraft are at the airfield

0:19:31 > 0:19:35and then we would just look around

0:19:35 > 0:19:38the airfield to see if there was anything of note.

0:19:40 > 0:19:44Today, the RAF are supporting missions in the Middle East, and in

0:19:44 > 0:19:48recent years, they have provided aerial surveillance in Afghanistan,

0:19:48 > 0:19:49Iraq and Libya.

0:19:52 > 0:19:54This is so interesting for me, really.

0:19:54 > 0:19:57There's something tremendously optimistic about it

0:19:57 > 0:19:59because I'm enjoying looking at this.

0:19:59 > 0:20:01I just like wearing glasses because I feel cool!

0:20:04 > 0:20:08Today, every role in the RAF is open to women.

0:20:08 > 0:20:11100 years ago, it was a very different picture.

0:20:12 > 0:20:16It was only when the First World War intensified, and increasing numbers

0:20:16 > 0:20:19of men were called to the front line, that women were recruited to

0:20:19 > 0:20:21fill the jobs they vacated.

0:20:22 > 0:20:26Women took to their roles with gusto and turned their hands to over 50

0:20:26 > 0:20:31trades, including welding, engineering and rigging aircraft.

0:20:31 > 0:20:33When the country faced a second war,

0:20:33 > 0:20:35the skills of women were called upon again.

0:20:36 > 0:20:38Here's some WAAFs, look.

0:20:38 > 0:20:43The farewell parade of the WAAF at Marham, 1941.

0:20:43 > 0:20:45They look very much like I looked, really.

0:20:46 > 0:20:50And here at RAF Marham, their contributions have been preserved.

0:20:52 > 0:20:56I think it's absolutely marvellous that a place like this exists where

0:20:56 > 0:21:00you can come in and you can be immersed in their lives,

0:21:00 > 0:21:03in the lives of the women and indeed, of course, the men,

0:21:03 > 0:21:09and just appreciate what previous generations went through to give us

0:21:09 > 0:21:12the nice, safe life that we have.

0:21:12 > 0:21:15I hope that they had good camaraderie and they enjoyed

0:21:15 > 0:21:18each other's company. I'm sure they did,

0:21:18 > 0:21:20I'm sure there was that great feeling of fellowship,

0:21:20 > 0:21:23but they must have had such a hard and frightening time

0:21:23 > 0:21:26because all around them, people were being killed.

0:21:26 > 0:21:32All the young men they knew and their loved ones were being killed

0:21:32 > 0:21:36and they must have always been in fear that their loved ones were not going to come home.

0:22:01 > 0:22:05"You must hope on for a month but at the end of that time, you must

0:22:05 > 0:22:09"accept the fact that I have handed my task over to the extremely

0:22:09 > 0:22:15"capable hands of my comrades of the RAF, as so many splendid fellows

0:22:15 > 0:22:16"have already done."

0:22:21 > 0:22:22He didn't come home.

0:22:29 > 0:22:35On 2nd September 1945, the Second World War finally ended.

0:22:35 > 0:22:38Almost 400,000 British lives were lost,

0:22:38 > 0:22:41but the legacy of their contribution lives on,

0:22:41 > 0:22:44as will the memories and stories of the women who served.

0:22:49 > 0:22:53The job we were doing, which definitely helped the defence

0:22:53 > 0:22:58of the country, did make us feel we were trailblazers in a way.

0:23:00 > 0:23:06We were very keen to be able to take action and win the war.

0:23:06 > 0:23:12I feel lucky to have lived through that and I always am so,

0:23:12 > 0:23:15so glad that I decided to do it,

0:23:15 > 0:23:19because I wouldn't have been called up, the job I was doing,

0:23:19 > 0:23:23so I've always been pleased that I did.

0:23:23 > 0:23:27King George VI came down to Portsmouth

0:23:27 > 0:23:30and there was a big march-past and...

0:23:32 > 0:23:34..he thanked us all for our...

0:23:36 > 0:23:38..dedication.

0:23:38 > 0:23:41The wartime atmosphere was that you did your bit,

0:23:41 > 0:23:43if you see what I mean,

0:23:43 > 0:23:45and that's what you went in to do here.

0:23:48 > 0:23:52Over 640,000 women served during the conflict,

0:23:52 > 0:23:54every one of them paving the way for

0:23:54 > 0:23:57the next generation of servicewomen like Pam.

0:23:58 > 0:24:00She's on her way to meet Joy Lofthouse,

0:24:00 > 0:24:03who played an astonishing part in the conflict.

0:24:03 > 0:24:06- Hello.- Nice to meet you. - I'm so pleased to meet you.

0:24:06 > 0:24:08It should be the other way about.

0:24:08 > 0:24:09No, not at all.

0:24:09 > 0:24:13I feel a complete fraud because I was in the air force

0:24:13 > 0:24:16as an air photography plotter,

0:24:16 > 0:24:20but you were the real McCoy, you were a pilot.

0:24:20 > 0:24:24Throughout the war, women in the WAF were restricted from aircraft duty.

0:24:24 > 0:24:27It was deemed unacceptable by the RAF.

0:24:28 > 0:24:30But that changed, thanks in part to

0:24:30 > 0:24:34the stand commercial pilot Pauline Gower made

0:24:34 > 0:24:37when she formed the Air Transport Auxiliary.

0:24:37 > 0:24:40Miss Pauline Gower, our Commandant, had a hard fight to wear down

0:24:40 > 0:24:43the prejudices against women flying in wartime.

0:24:43 > 0:24:47Joy was one of the women for whom Pauline paved the way.

0:24:47 > 0:24:50What qualifications did you need to apply?

0:24:50 > 0:24:53Well, they liked it very much that I'd been sporty.

0:24:53 > 0:24:57- Oh, yes.- Because they knew that if you had been sporty,

0:24:57 > 0:24:59you had good coordination.

0:24:59 > 0:25:03So I applied and I got in.

0:25:03 > 0:25:07Joy, could you tell us what the ATA was, actually,

0:25:07 > 0:25:09and what was your role in it?

0:25:09 > 0:25:13Well, it was called the Air Transport Auxiliary, all right?

0:25:13 > 0:25:17- Yeah.- And we did all the non-operational flying

0:25:17 > 0:25:22to allow the air force to do the operational work.

0:25:22 > 0:25:27I flew all single-seater fighters and what they called light twins.

0:25:27 > 0:25:31I wasn't allowed to fly anything fast like a Mosquito or anything,

0:25:31 > 0:25:34but what you call light twins,

0:25:34 > 0:25:38which is an Oxford and Anson and things like that.

0:25:38 > 0:25:40What was your favourite aircraft to fly?

0:25:40 > 0:25:41Oh, the Spit, obviously.

0:25:41 > 0:25:46It was still in everyone's mind as having won the Battle of Britain.

0:25:48 > 0:25:51Were they hard to fly? Are the controls difficult?

0:25:51 > 0:25:56You only have to know the take-off speed and the landing speed, really.

0:25:56 > 0:25:58- Really?- Yes.

0:25:58 > 0:26:03And the cruising speed, if you like, because ATA had a very modest

0:26:03 > 0:26:07cruising speed because we were trying to save petrol.

0:26:07 > 0:26:10- Oh, I see.- Every gallon of petrol had to come cross the Atlantic

0:26:10 > 0:26:12in those dreadful convoys.

0:26:12 > 0:26:15U-boats were sinking them the whole time.

0:26:15 > 0:26:19You seem very modest about what you did, Joy.

0:26:19 > 0:26:23I'm sure most people would think you're absolutely heroic to go up

0:26:23 > 0:26:25and deliver these aircraft on your own,

0:26:25 > 0:26:29but you seem quite modest and self-effacing about it.

0:26:29 > 0:26:34Well, all women did something and a lot of the women, you know,

0:26:34 > 0:26:38in the Battle of Britain, they got bombed and everything, you know,

0:26:38 > 0:26:41so it was dangerous just to be around.

0:26:41 > 0:26:42I suppose so.

0:26:42 > 0:26:47It didn't really matter if one was in a more or less dangerous job,

0:26:47 > 0:26:49and you were young, nothing was ever going to happen to you!

0:26:49 > 0:26:54- I know, you feel invincible then, don't you?- Absolutely.

0:26:54 > 0:26:57Joy, do you think World War II gave opportunities to women that they

0:26:57 > 0:26:59wouldn't otherwise have had?

0:26:59 > 0:27:01It was the first foot in the door, if you like.

0:27:01 > 0:27:03Yeah, I think it probably was.

0:27:03 > 0:27:06It was probably the first foot in the door, otherwise it was back to

0:27:06 > 0:27:08- the kitchen sink.- Yeah.

0:27:08 > 0:27:12And what happened at the end of the war, Joy, what did you do?

0:27:12 > 0:27:13Did you go on flying?

0:27:13 > 0:27:19No. It was a wartime thing, and hard to believe it nowadays,

0:27:19 > 0:27:22but if you weren't married by the time you were 30,

0:27:22 > 0:27:24you were practically on the shelf.

0:27:24 > 0:27:26Yeah, I know.

0:27:26 > 0:27:30So, really, I think one thought, well, wartime was wartime.

0:27:30 > 0:27:32It's time to marry and settle down.

0:27:32 > 0:27:34- Oh, right.- Which most of us did.

0:27:37 > 0:27:39Joy was one of only 166 females

0:27:39 > 0:27:42in non-combat flying roles during the war.

0:27:43 > 0:27:47Alongside their male colleagues, the ATA delivered

0:27:47 > 0:27:50over 300,000 planes to airfields across the country.

0:27:52 > 0:27:57What she did in the '40s and what women like her did

0:27:57 > 0:28:00was to take on these ground-breaking jobs

0:28:00 > 0:28:03and that began the process whereby today all those things

0:28:03 > 0:28:05are now open to modern women,

0:28:05 > 0:28:10and I think you can trace it back to women like Joy in her Spitfire.

0:28:14 > 0:28:18The war ended, and with it, the ATA became redundant and was disbanded.

0:28:20 > 0:28:24Some women did get to fly as volunteers for the WRAF after that,

0:28:24 > 0:28:29but it wasn't until 1989 that the opportunity to fly military aircraft

0:28:29 > 0:28:30was reopened to women.

0:28:33 > 0:28:36And when Pam was in the WRAF in the 1960s,

0:28:36 > 0:28:38the only flights servicewomen took

0:28:38 > 0:28:41were as passengers to reach their postings overseas.

0:28:43 > 0:28:47For Pam, that meant a flight to the Far East and Singapore.

0:28:49 > 0:28:53Her prayers for excitement and new experiences were being answered.

0:28:53 > 0:28:55And it was thanks, in part,

0:28:55 > 0:28:57to a role she played outside of the plotting office.

0:28:59 > 0:29:02Oh, my God! Oh, my!

0:29:04 > 0:29:06This gives me a really strange feeling.

0:29:06 > 0:29:11This theatre, or a theatre so much like this up the road at Brampton,

0:29:11 > 0:29:13made such a massive difference to me.

0:29:13 > 0:29:17This was a life-changer and, I don't say that lightly.

0:29:17 > 0:29:20This theatre at RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire

0:29:20 > 0:29:24is home to one of the force's many amateur dramatic groups.

0:29:25 > 0:29:27Back in the late 1960s,

0:29:27 > 0:29:31a curious Pam Ayres went to watch a rehearsal and was swiftly asked to

0:29:31 > 0:29:34fill in for an absent cast member.

0:29:34 > 0:29:36That night, a hidden talent was discovered.

0:29:36 > 0:29:41Now, this is a play called Haul For The Shore

0:29:41 > 0:29:42and it's written by Jean McConnell

0:29:42 > 0:29:44and I'll just read you a little bit of it.

0:29:44 > 0:29:48I mean, it ain't Shakespeare, it's a bit of fun,

0:29:48 > 0:29:52it's a bit of light sort of froth and this is a bit from my part.

0:29:52 > 0:29:54I played Polly.

0:29:54 > 0:29:56We won't hear another word, uncle.

0:29:57 > 0:30:01Mrs Trout may have her faults, but think how kind it was of her

0:30:01 > 0:30:03to bring me them mushrooms.

0:30:03 > 0:30:06Pam's delivery was perfect.

0:30:06 > 0:30:09She was given the part and stole the show.

0:30:09 > 0:30:12- I'm having 'em for breakfast. - LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

0:30:15 > 0:30:17It was just magic.

0:30:17 > 0:30:18I think because of my accent,

0:30:18 > 0:30:23the audience responded very well to me and they laughed and laughed

0:30:23 > 0:30:26and I was playing to the audience and I was in my element.

0:30:26 > 0:30:31On the second night, which was for the officers, to my surprise,

0:30:31 > 0:30:33I got shoved out on the stage right at the end

0:30:33 > 0:30:34and the Air Squadron Leader

0:30:34 > 0:30:37came out here and he said, "Ladies and gentlemen,

0:30:37 > 0:30:41"I'd like you all to know that Miss Ayres stepped into the part

0:30:41 > 0:30:43"at a mere ten days' notice

0:30:43 > 0:30:47"and I think she deserves a jolly good round of applause."

0:30:47 > 0:30:49Also in the audience was Pam's Group Captain,

0:30:49 > 0:30:52who called her into his office later that week.

0:30:52 > 0:30:57I went shuffling in and he got up and he said,

0:30:57 > 0:31:01"I have never laughed so much in my whole life."

0:31:01 > 0:31:04Then he said, "What's your ambition in the Air Force?"

0:31:04 > 0:31:06I said, "I want to go to Singapore.

0:31:06 > 0:31:08"That's what I'd love to do."

0:31:08 > 0:31:13Now, cut forward a month, six weeks or so,

0:31:13 > 0:31:16and I'm walking down the corridor and somebody says to me,

0:31:16 > 0:31:19"Oh, here comes Seletar Jane."

0:31:19 > 0:31:23I didn't know what they were talking about, because Seletar was the RAF station in Singapore.

0:31:23 > 0:31:25I said, "What do you mean?"

0:31:25 > 0:31:26He said, "You've got a posting."

0:31:27 > 0:31:31Pam's ambition to travel with the force was finally being fulfilled.

0:31:32 > 0:31:35Singapore was a colony of the British Empire

0:31:35 > 0:31:38until it gained independence in 1965.

0:31:38 > 0:31:40However, it was only 1976

0:31:40 > 0:31:44when the last of the British forces left the island.

0:31:46 > 0:31:47Pam arrived in 1967

0:31:47 > 0:31:52and joined around 30 other women to be stationed there.

0:31:52 > 0:31:56One of them was Avril Oxley, who worked in the supply store.

0:31:56 > 0:31:58We were so white when we went out there,

0:31:58 > 0:32:00and that was at the swimming baths.

0:32:00 > 0:32:03Of course by the time we left, we had beautiful tans,

0:32:03 > 0:32:04but when we first got there...

0:32:04 > 0:32:06When you first got there and all the blokes,

0:32:06 > 0:32:09all the soldiers, used to shout, "Moony!"

0:32:09 > 0:32:12- Didn't they?- Yeah, I married one of those in the end!

0:32:12 > 0:32:14- Yeah!- One from the block opposite.

0:32:14 > 0:32:15Yeah, we were white.

0:32:15 > 0:32:17There's me, obviously.

0:32:17 > 0:32:20Oh, yeah. You've still got the same hairdo.

0:32:20 > 0:32:22I know, I know.

0:32:22 > 0:32:24I said that, yeah.

0:32:24 > 0:32:26That's one thing that's never changed.

0:32:26 > 0:32:28I'll show you a couple of mine.

0:32:28 > 0:32:29This is the one I'm proud of.

0:32:29 > 0:32:34When I look at myself now, a substantial person that I am,

0:32:34 > 0:32:36I like looking at that.

0:32:36 > 0:32:40That's me doing an impersonation of Horatio Nelson

0:32:40 > 0:32:42on a gunning placement,

0:32:42 > 0:32:44but when I look at my waspy waist...

0:32:44 > 0:32:45Yeah, look at that!

0:32:45 > 0:32:47- What happened?- Mmm, yeah!

0:32:49 > 0:32:50Oh, it's so sad.

0:32:50 > 0:32:54I know - if only we could go back for another run.

0:32:54 > 0:32:59- This is me at JARIC where I worked at the end of the runway.- Oh, right.

0:32:59 > 0:33:03You've got your main dress hat on there whereas in my job,

0:33:03 > 0:33:05I always used to have to wear the beret.

0:33:05 > 0:33:08Well, it may have been for the photo.

0:33:08 > 0:33:10I liked that hat, though, that was my favourite.

0:33:10 > 0:33:11I didn't like that stupid beret.

0:33:11 > 0:33:14It was like a great chamberpot on your head, wasn't it?

0:33:14 > 0:33:19A bit, yeah. We've both got exactly the same memories of the place.

0:33:19 > 0:33:22I know. It was a real high spot for me, as it was for you.

0:33:22 > 0:33:23Yeah, lovely.

0:33:23 > 0:33:25Avril, did you like it there, were you happy there?

0:33:25 > 0:33:28- I loved it.- So did I. - The best year of my life.

0:33:28 > 0:33:29Absolutely loved it.

0:33:29 > 0:33:31I felt that as well.

0:33:33 > 0:33:36Pam spent almost 18 months in Singapore.

0:33:36 > 0:33:39It was the highlight of her time in the forces.

0:33:39 > 0:33:41And while she still worked as a plotter,

0:33:41 > 0:33:44she joined the Seletar amateur dramatic society, which put on

0:33:44 > 0:33:46weekly productions at the base.

0:33:50 > 0:33:54She threw herself into a variety of roles, contributing to a long,

0:33:54 > 0:33:57morale-boosting history of entertaining the troops.

0:33:58 > 0:34:02The roots of such performances lie with the Entertainment's National

0:34:02 > 0:34:05Service Association, or ENSA, which was established

0:34:05 > 0:34:09to provide entertainment during the Second World War.

0:34:09 > 0:34:13Today, the need to keep up spirits is as strong as ever

0:34:13 > 0:34:16and James Blunt, a former British soldier himself,

0:34:16 > 0:34:17and Katherine Jenkins,

0:34:17 > 0:34:20have recently performed for those based in Afghanistan.

0:34:22 > 0:34:26And the plays that Pam so enjoyed being a part of remain a feature of

0:34:26 > 0:34:30Forces life, especially here at RAF Henley.

0:34:30 > 0:34:33I've got ladies to see.

0:34:33 > 0:34:34Other ladies?

0:34:34 > 0:34:36The idea!

0:34:36 > 0:34:39To be back here now like this is sort of like coming

0:34:39 > 0:34:41a full circle, really.

0:34:41 > 0:34:43I know what it did for me.

0:34:43 > 0:34:48It was an absolute life-changer and if it's not that, it's great fun.

0:34:48 > 0:34:51It's great fun to get out there and be somebody else.

0:34:51 > 0:34:53However dastardly.

0:34:59 > 0:35:0250 years since her first part as Poppy,

0:35:02 > 0:35:05Pam can't resist treading the RAF's boards.

0:35:06 > 0:35:08I still haven't given up hope, you know.

0:35:09 > 0:35:14I still await the day When my true romantic hero

0:35:14 > 0:35:16Comes to carry me away.

0:35:16 > 0:35:18Well, I've been married 30 years.

0:35:18 > 0:35:20Some people find that long,

0:35:20 > 0:35:24But my husband's just a stopgap Till the real one comes along!

0:35:26 > 0:35:32Then, like Lawrence of Arabia, Across the burning sand,

0:35:32 > 0:35:37I see him ride towards me And I take his outstretched hand.

0:35:37 > 0:35:43I see his pearly teeth, The flash of sunlight on enamel,

0:35:43 > 0:35:45And if love cannot sustain us...

0:35:47 > 0:35:48..We shall have to eat the camel.

0:35:48 > 0:35:49LAUGHTER

0:35:49 > 0:35:51Thank you, everybody.

0:35:56 > 0:36:00Pam served for four years in the Women's Royal Air Force,

0:36:00 > 0:36:02leaving in March 1969.

0:36:03 > 0:36:08It wasn't until 1994 that it was fully integrated with the RAF.

0:36:08 > 0:36:12A time that also marked another significant step forward for women.

0:36:12 > 0:36:15This morning, the Service's first woman trained to fly combat missions

0:36:15 > 0:36:18took to the air. As part of 617 Dambusters Squadron,

0:36:18 > 0:36:22Flight Lieutenant Jo Salter set off from RAF Lossiemouth in a Tornado.

0:36:22 > 0:36:26I think it's very important that children who are going through

0:36:26 > 0:36:29school, especially girls, have the opportunity

0:36:29 > 0:36:32to see that everything is open in this day and age.

0:36:32 > 0:36:36Station Commander of RAF Benson, Hamish Cormack,

0:36:36 > 0:36:39remembers this landmark time for the force.

0:36:39 > 0:36:41What I do clearly remember is going through flying training

0:36:41 > 0:36:44roughly at the time that the first female aircrew

0:36:44 > 0:36:45went through flying training.

0:36:45 > 0:36:48We saw pilots and navigators in the cockpit.

0:36:48 > 0:36:51That was a difficult transition for some amongst the old and bold,

0:36:51 > 0:36:52I must admit, but I think probably

0:36:52 > 0:36:55most people would say that much more rapidly than expected,

0:36:55 > 0:36:58everybody was treating everybody in the same way,

0:36:58 > 0:37:00regardless of gender. That's absolutely what I see today.

0:37:00 > 0:37:02It's not about gender at all,

0:37:02 > 0:37:05it really is about whether you're good at doing your job.

0:37:05 > 0:37:07That is the bottom line.

0:37:10 > 0:37:12Since that time, many women have been trained to fly

0:37:12 > 0:37:16every type of aircraft, from Tornadoes to Typhoons.

0:37:18 > 0:37:20The aircrew at RAF Benson undergo

0:37:20 > 0:37:23intense training to respond to a variety of missions

0:37:23 > 0:37:27and were recently called upon to provide relief following

0:37:27 > 0:37:29the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.

0:37:30 > 0:37:33We're constantly preparing to support several operations

0:37:33 > 0:37:37we're required on and they are in a spectrum from low-level conflict

0:37:37 > 0:37:39through to what the public would see as full war fighting.

0:37:39 > 0:37:43But also, responding to disaster relief operations around the world.

0:37:43 > 0:37:44Over the last 100 years,

0:37:44 > 0:37:47the RAF, coming up for its 100th birthday next year,

0:37:47 > 0:37:49has been involved in over 50 countries,

0:37:49 > 0:37:51delivering relief aid after

0:37:51 > 0:37:53volcanoes, earthquakes, typhoons, cyclones,

0:37:53 > 0:37:56so it's not always what the public necessarily associate

0:37:56 > 0:37:57with our primary role.

0:37:59 > 0:38:01Qualifying as a pilot in March,

0:38:01 > 0:38:04this Flight Lieutenant is now undergoing training that will

0:38:04 > 0:38:08enable her to offer front-line support in the Puma helicopter.

0:38:10 > 0:38:13What is it that attracts you,

0:38:13 > 0:38:15why did you want to fly that particular aircraft?

0:38:15 > 0:38:17I love flying helicopters

0:38:17 > 0:38:20so I'd always wanted to go and end up flying helicopters.

0:38:20 > 0:38:23I like that you're flying at low level a lot of the time

0:38:23 > 0:38:25so I like that you're in amongst it

0:38:25 > 0:38:28and doing something that's very involved with people

0:38:28 > 0:38:31- on the ground.- It's such a contrast.

0:38:31 > 0:38:35I was in the Women's Royal Air Force from '65 to '69, and really,

0:38:35 > 0:38:39people, women were expected to do clerical jobs.

0:38:39 > 0:38:43- Yeah.- By and large, that was the impression I got.

0:38:43 > 0:38:47Now, the idea of a female pilot was far off into the future.

0:38:47 > 0:38:50- Yeah.- It was unheard of.

0:38:50 > 0:38:53It's still unusual, but there are no barriers to it

0:38:53 > 0:38:56so I think if you want to do it, you can do it,

0:38:56 > 0:38:59and I think that's how it should be.

0:38:59 > 0:39:01- Indeed, yeah.- So rather than saying

0:39:01 > 0:39:04you have to have half women and half men and forcing it,

0:39:04 > 0:39:07I just think if you can do it and you want to do it,

0:39:07 > 0:39:09- you should be able to.- Yeah.

0:39:09 > 0:39:12I'm so glad it's changed from how it was.

0:39:12 > 0:39:16I'm glad, too. That these things are open to everybody...

0:39:16 > 0:39:19- Absolutely.- ..who is prepared to devote themselves

0:39:19 > 0:39:23to getting into it, that you would be able to succeed in it.

0:39:25 > 0:39:28To get a chance to experience a job that was never on offer

0:39:28 > 0:39:30during her time in the service,

0:39:30 > 0:39:32Pam has been asked to join the Puma team

0:39:32 > 0:39:35as they practice landing in confined spaces.

0:39:48 > 0:39:50I have heard an awful rumour.

0:39:51 > 0:39:57I'm going up in a Puma helicopter, so that should be very interesting.

0:39:57 > 0:39:59I'm not as brave as I used to be.

0:39:59 > 0:40:00I used to be bold.

0:40:00 > 0:40:04I was up for anything and now I'm an old girl,

0:40:04 > 0:40:09I'm sort of a bit more cautious and I think, "Oh, what if, what if?

0:40:09 > 0:40:11"What if it all goes wrong?"

0:40:13 > 0:40:15As the Flight Lieutenant is still training,

0:40:15 > 0:40:17Pam is entrusting herself to the all-male crew.

0:40:22 > 0:40:24How do I look?

0:40:29 > 0:40:33This aircrew is trained to operate the Puma in inhospitable areas.

0:41:10 > 0:41:13It can carry 12 fully-equipped troops.

0:41:59 > 0:42:02The wind in your face, it feels like the real thing.

0:42:02 > 0:42:04You feel like a real pioneer.

0:42:04 > 0:42:06I think it would have been a lot more exciting

0:42:06 > 0:42:08to have been a pilot than a plotter.

0:42:08 > 0:42:10They are serious people, aren't they?

0:42:10 > 0:42:13They're doing a dangerous job and I'm full of admiration.

0:42:15 > 0:42:18100 years since women first joined the military

0:42:18 > 0:42:23and over 50 years since her own experiences in the WRAF,

0:42:23 > 0:42:27Pam has had a taste of what life is like for today's servicewomen.

0:42:28 > 0:42:31As long as you embrace the life and get it by the scruff of the neck

0:42:31 > 0:42:36and shake out of it what you can for yourself,

0:42:36 > 0:42:40you can really enrich your life, and I feel it did enrich my life.

0:42:40 > 0:42:41We were cosseted,

0:42:41 > 0:42:43we were kept in a safe environment,

0:42:43 > 0:42:46but these women are out on the front line

0:42:46 > 0:42:50and I feel a tremendous admiration for them

0:42:50 > 0:42:54and I'm glad that all these jobs now are available to them

0:42:54 > 0:42:58if they are brave enough and have the courage and the resolve

0:42:58 > 0:42:59to go out there and do it.

0:42:59 > 0:43:02Now they can, and I think that's a fine thing.