75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, St Paul’s Cathedral

Candy Jar author and treasured WAAF veteran Eileen Younghusband was one of the many dedicated attendees to visited St Paul’s Cathedral to pay their respects yesterday at the ceremony to commemorate the 75^th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Eileen stood proudly alongside current RAF personnel and with former RAF veterans, as well as fellow RAF veteran William Clark.

Credit: Libby Wiener/ITV News

Credit: Libby Wiener/ITV News

The Battle of Britain stands as one of the most iconic events in Eileen’s long and fascinating life. Widely commended as honest and authoritative voice in stories told of the Second World War, Eileen joined the forces at the young age of eighteen and played a crucial role in the fight against Hitler as the first to detect the V2 bombs as they approached London in. Her two books published by Candy Jar, Men I Have Known and One Woman’s War tell her story, from anecdotes of her meetings with prominent historical figures to her time in the radar rooms of WW2.

Eileen, as a prevalent literary figure as well as a promoter of adult education, also recently attended the esteemed literary event The Hay Festival, where she spoke at length to The Telegraph’s Martin Chilton and his audience about her books and the fascinating events in her life which inspired them. Both books can be purchased from via Amazon and the Candy Jar website

                                  

Candy Jar is extremely proud of Eileen, who proves time and time again to be a figure worthy of respect and admiration!

EILEEN TAKES A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE!

For many it would have been an informative trip to the museum, but for Eileen Younghusband, visiting the Bentley Priory on Thursday was an experience of enormous nostalgia.

Bentley Priory

The cause of her visit was for the commemoration of Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding - the man who led the team of officers working with Radar information collected from the stations around Britain's coast to detect enemy fire. The day featured a reveal of the site's recreation of the famous Filter room - where Eileen worked relentlessly during WW2 when detecting enemy V2 rockets headed for Britain. She was accompanied by eight other WAAF veterans as part of the event's VIP guests.

The unveiling of the Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding statuette

The Filter Room was of vital importance to the outcome of the Battle of Britain, with the air-raid warnings a direct result of the WAAF's work in calculating the necessary information to detect where and when potential attacks were to occur.

However, the day was made even more significant due to the attendance of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

Eileen was able to share a few moments of chatter with Prince Charles, speaking about her experiences of the war. In a bizarre reflection of history, they were surrounded by commemorative bronze statues of the various members who worked in the Filter Room - one of which was modelled after Eileen herself. She spoke of the Prince of Wales in high regard, stating that he had "a great sense of humour."

Eileen's statue proudly stands as the display's centrepiece

Ultimately, the event took place in order to acknowledge the secret efforts made to ensure the protection of Britain. Speaking of the day, Eileen says "For me, it was sadness and joy mixed together - remembering the dedication and comradeship of my fellow WAAF no longer here, but also reliving those days of struggle and hard work. It was a unique day and one which I will never forget."

ONE WOMAN'S WAR - COMING SOON ON DVD!

Candy Jar is pleased to announce the forthcoming DVD, based on the critically acclaimed memoir One Woman's War by Eileen Younghusband.

Eileen Younghusband (90) was just 18 when she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). She quickly demonstrated her keen intellect and mathematical skills, playing a crucial role in Fighter Command’s underground Filter Room.

Working grueling shifts under enormous pressure she and her companions worked tirelessly, tracking the swarms of enemy aircraft that sought to break the British resolve. She even had the dubious honour of detecting the first of Hitler’s devastating V2 rockets as it fell on an unsuspecting London.

In 2011, Candy Jar Books published Eileen's memoir to critical and commercial success.

Now, this DVD goes beyond the book and delves deeper into Eileen's wartime experiences as she gives a frank and revealing interview about her experiences leading up to and during the Second World War.

Running Time: Approx. 60mins
Format: PAL, Widescreen (16:9)
Classification: Exempt

The One Woman's War DVD will be available this spring. To pre-order your copy of the DVD, please go here. Any orders made prior to release with benefit from priority dispatch.

www.onewomanswar.co.uk
www.candy-jar.co.uk

ONE WOMAN'S WAR AND KANGAZANG! ON KINDLE!

You can now read two of Candy Jar's titles on the go with the Kindle version of both One Woman's War and Kangazang!

Available from the Kindle store, you can instantly purchase and download them and start reading right away! So, if you've missed the Christmas post, or have just treated yourself to Amazon's latest eReader, why not give them a try?

These books are also available in all other eBook formats, including Kobo and iBooks (accessible from your iPad or iPhone).

Links:

Amazon

Candy Jar

One Woman's War

Kangazang

AUTHOR, EILEEN YOUNGHUSBAND APPEARS ON BBC BREAKFAST

Yesterday, Eileen Younghusband appeared on BBC Breakfast to talk about her time serving in the WAAF during World War Two. You can watch the clip here: