Eileen Younghusband: Britain’s Greatest Generation

Eileen Younghusband returned to Bentley Priory in February to film at the Museum for a forthcoming four-part BBC series, ‘Britain’s Greatest Generation’.

The series will be shown on BBC Two, starting on Friday 8 May, the 70th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Eileen’s visit to Bentley Priory Museum will air on Friday 15 May.

During WWII, Eileen worked in the Filter Room at Bentley Priory, calculating the targets of the Luftwaffe’s bombing  fleets from information from pioneering radar.

In 1941, at the age of 19, Eileen joined the WAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force). After completing her initial training at RAF Innsworth and RAF Leighton Buzzard, Eileen was posted to 10 Group Fighter Command at RAF Rudloe Manor, near Bath, where she proved herself to be fast and accurate enough to be commissioned as a Filterer Officer. After training at RAF Bawdsey, she went first to 9 Group, RAF Barton Hall and finally to Headquarters Fighter Command at RAF Bentley Priory.

Eileen is an incredible custodian of the important history of the work that women and men did in the Filter Rooms during WWII. She has shared these stories through published  books and media work.

Charlesin FilterRoomIn 2013, Eileen met with HRH Prince Charles – Patron of the Museum’s Fundraising Appeal –  during the opening of Bentley Priory Museum and stood next the model based on her, in the recreation of the Filter Room at the Museum.