Flying Nightingales

Excerpt
When Leading Aircraftwoman Myra Roberts of Oswestry, Corporal Lydia Alford of Eastleigh and Leading Aircraftwoman Edna Birbeck attended a routine briefing on 12th June 1944 they had no idea they would be making history the following day. At the end of the briefing the three were asked to remain behind and were told they were flying to France the next morning on an RAF No. 233 Squadron Dakota Mk.III which was outbound to deliver supplies to the forces in Normandy, and was to return with wounded who would need their care. The British had never sent women to a combat zone before; Myra, Lydia and Edna, and around 200 other Flying Nightingales as they were soon dubbed were the first.

Lydia later recalled of their training

Making-History

ROYAL AIR FORCE TRANSPORT COMMAND, 1943-1945. (CL 122) The first WAAF nursing orderlies selected to fly on air-ambulance duties to France, standing in front of a Douglas Dakota Mark III of No. 233 Squadron RAF at B2/Bazenville, Normandy. From left to right: Leading Aircraftwoman Myra Roberts of Oswestry, Corporal Lydia Alford of Eastleigh and Leading Aircraftwoman Edna Birbeck of Wellingborough. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211095

When Leading Aircraftwoman Myra Roberts of Oswestry, Corporal Lydia Alford of Eastleigh and Leading Aircraftwoman Edna Birbeck attended a routine briefing on 12th June 1944 they had no idea they would be making history the following day. At the end of the briefing the three were asked to remain behind and were told they were flying to France the next morning on an RAF No. 233 Squadron Dakota Mk.III which was outbound to deliver supplies to the forces in Normandy, and was to return…

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