"The pilots used to come in to see us and we’d just look at them and think how incredibly brave they were and if they would be shot down by the enemy."
These are the words of the late plotter Phyllis Hill, who shared her remarkable story with the Veterans’ Foundation just weeks before she passed away at the age of 103.
Phyllis was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and played a vital role in tracking the size and direction of German air raids during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz during the Second World War.
Initially, only men were recruited to be plotters, but when women were able to join the fold, Phyllis volunteered straight away.
Her friend Joan was already recruited as a plotter and encouraged Phyllis to become one too, despite not knowing what the role involved.
“So when I went in for my interview, I told the officer I wanted to be a plotter and he asked if I knew what the job was and I said no,” said Phyllis.
“He replied and said; ‘Well alright and don’t let me down."
Phyllis was stationed at Exeter and explained in simple terms what her job entailed.
"The plotters would all sit with their rods and arrows," she said.
"Once they got a number, if it was hostile it was red and black. If it was friendly, it would be red and yellow.
"Controllers up above us were watching our plots and we used to hear them talking to our Airmen, saying things like 'you ought to be able to see them now'.
"If we were good at our job and everything went right, well, they were ready to shoot them down.”
Phyllis was responsible for keeping track of hundreds of allied and enemy aircraft across the skies of Britain. She was made to swear on a bible to ensure secrecy and proved herself as a formidable talent in one of the most high-pressure non-combat war environments.
Phyllis reflected that they felt like the pilots’ lives were in their hands.
"Night duty was the busiest time for the plotters and we used to go on at 10pm until 8am the next day,” she said.
"It was blackout, and they would have a little torch which showed them where to go."
She also spoke fondly about her memories of their more light-hearted experiences with their American comrades.
“Our Airmen didn’t like them much as all of the girls were after the Americans,” she said.
"We used to try and teach them how to Walz and they used to try and make us do the Jitterbug.
"It was lovely to see them up there.”
Phyllis passed away in July, 2022 and truly was a hero of the skies.
