Military Medal of Sergeant Helen Emily Turner

Helen Turner served as a switchboard operator at the busy RAF station at Biggin Hill, as a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. On 30 August 1940, during an air raid, she kept on working in order to maintain vital telephone contact with Group Headquarters. She and colleague Corporal Elizabeth Henderson only left when a 500lb bomb crashed through the roof and the building caught fire.

Turner was one of three women awarded the Military Medal for their bravery that day for their cool, calm and collected conduct. Her citation praised her and her colleagues for their courage and example to others.