Squadron Officer Helen Jackson.

Helen's Story

Helen was born 18th December 1916 and spent her childhood in Glasgow, one of two children of an Army veteran of the Great War. Helen attended a Boarding School in England for six years and left at the age of sixteen.

On leaving college Helen decided that she would like to work in the Banking industry, however, no openings being available she opted to train as a Dietician. Her first post was in Bournemouth followed by another year working at the Royal Masonic Hospital in London.

Deciding that a future working in a private hospital in London wasn't exactly what she wanted to do, Helen returned to Glasgow and took a secretarial training course. By this time, war was looming and encouraged by her Father who told her 'to get out there and do something' she decided to volunteer her services. However, Helen didn't quite fancy khaki and so in August 1939 she volunteered to join the ATS/RAF, which shortly afterwards became the WAAF. The options available were driving or cooking and since Helen couldn't drive but had experience as a Dietician she opted for catering. Her first post involved cooking for 5 Officers of the Royal Air Force Balloon Barrage section. Her first night in the Services were not quite what she expected; sharing a bed with a total stranger, not to mention the resident fleas. Helen was then selected to attend a cypher course at RAF Headington in Oxford which changed the direction of her career.

Having completed her course Helen was posted to Signals, 6 Group at Abingdon under Bomber Command. Spending some time as a Number 2 she quickly rose to Number 1, overseeing the circulation and amendments of top secret coded documents, all of which had to be meticulously accounted for as well as routine cyphering and recyphering. Since lives were at stake, time was of the essence in making sure that communications arrived swiftly and safely at their destination.

Helen's tour included Preston - 9 Group (Fighter Command) Newmarket - 3 Group

( Bomber Command) Leith - 18 Group (Coastal Command) and finally a term at Leighton Buzzard (Signals Group).

It was while Helen was posted to Suffolk that she witnessed the first experiments of the FIDO (Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operations) trials. The idea was to lay a fuel pipe along the runway with holes along the way, which could be ignited to mark and clear the runway for incoming traffic in poor weather conditions.

Being on call when staffing levels were low in the Operations Room, occasionally Helen was called upon to assist with the take off of Bomber Flights and witnessed their sadly depleted return to base.

Whilst at Newmarket, Helen met and fell in love with Martin Jackson, a Colonel in the 8th Army. The 8th Army had been recalled to re-arm and take part in Operation Market Garden. They first met at a birthday party held in the RAF mess. Martin was assigned second in Command to General Horrocks, Special Duties. They married in 1944.

Helen was posted to India early in 1944, but as she was just about to get married, she was released. She was demobilised at the end of 1945 and she and Martin went to live in London

Martin, working for Hector Whaling at this time was sent to Cape Town for a three month posting. However, three months turned into three years where Martin oversaw the whaling season. During this time Helen worked as a Volunteer for the Red Cross. Helen was present in Cape Town during the crisis of the Sharpeville Shootings and Nelson Mandela's arrest.

Martin was then employed by Lipton's Tea, and so they set off for a period in Karachi. Martin went first to make the necessary arrangements and Helen followed expecting to be met at the airport. However, negotiations between the workers and the management at Liptons having come to an impasse, she discovered that Martin, along with the other members of the Management had been imprisoned by the dissenters. They were kept for two days without food and water before being released Undaunted, Helen stayed in Karachi for a year.

En route from Karachi to Britain, they stopped off at Cape Town. Whilst there, Martin was offered a job in administration at the PK La Roux Dam, now known as the Vanderkloof Dam, an important Government project and what should have been a three week holiday turned out to be another three year stay in South Africa.

Having seen enough action for a while and ready to retire, Helen and Martin came to Barcelona where they stayed for a while. A friend had told them about Javea and they decided to take a look. The fell in love with Montgo and bought a home there.

They were close neighbours and friends of Janet and George Duffee who introduced them to the Air Crew Association. Helen and Martin spent seventeen years at the villa on Montgo until moving to the Port in Javea. Helen has been a member of the Air Crew Association since 2003.

During her career in the Women's Royal Air Force she held the post of Assistant Section Officer, Section Officer, Flight Officer and finally Squadron Officer.