100 year old blind Bletchley Park veteran's war memoirs released
Peter Bearne meets Margaret Wilson, who released her memoirs, and finds out whether any secrets are spilled from her time code-breaking in the Second World War
A 100-year-old WWII veteran, who intercepted German secret messages in Bletchley Park, has released her memoirs.
Born in Mansfield, Margaret Wilson served in the Woman's Auxillary Airforce (WAAF) before transferring to the famous code-breaking complex.
'A WAAF at War', is the story of her role, and women like her, who volunteered to join the fight against the Nazis. It was written by fellow blind veteran Simon Mahoney.
"I never expected to come to something like this," says Margaret about her launch event on Saturday 15 April.
She first joined the WAAF at 17 years old. Working with barrage balloons designed to frustrate enemy aircraft. Margaret had a fear of heights which stopped her sleeping on the top bunk - yet still scaled ladders to activate detonators on the balloons.
But despite being scared, it didn't matter, commenting: "Sometimes I was sent up the ladders more than anyone because I was the smallest one!"
Margaret lost her sight much later in life due to age-related macular degeneration. She says, “You try and get by as long as you can when you’re told you’re losing your sight but when it started to get very bad I did feel really miserable. I can’t see to read or write now."
Former Royal Marine Mr Mahoney, from Ashbourne in Derbyshire, lost his sight to glaucoma and met when he became a telephone befriender for the Blind Veterans UK charity.
She has been helped by the charity and the pair struck up a friendship after he was assigned to her.
"Our friendship very nearly began with disaster because I inadvertently called her Maggie," said Simon. She then told him off! But they struck a chord, and the friendship blossomed.
Mr Mahoney interviewed Mrs Wilson over several months and typed up the book using an adapted PC and word-processing software supplied by the military charity that supports blind and partially-sighted veterans
The book was launched at an event at Shirebrook Ex-Servicemens Club in Mansfield. Elizabeth Fothergill CBE, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire gave a speech too before Simon gave a recital of the book. The event concluded with an afternoon tea.
The Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire said "One of the great pleasures of being His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant for the county of Derbyshire is the opportunity to meet and celebrate some truly exceptional people.
"Simon and Margaret are certainly up there with the best.”
The book also covers Margaret's time deciphering enemy messages at the famous Bletchley Park. You'll find little detail of her work though, having made a vow of secrecy in front of a magistrate at the time.
"The justice of the peace told me, 'never repeat any of this in your lifetime and keep that with you until the end of the day'...and that's what I've done!"
Profits from the book will go to the Blind Veterans UK, which helps vision-impaired ex servicemen and women.