THE crowd at the Royal Welsh Show cheered an RAF veteran from Sully as a pair of Second World War fighters flew overhead this week.

The flypast of the two Spitfires was organised as part of the celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

Eileen Younghusband, 94, joined the Women’s Auxilliary Air Force (WAAF) in 1941 and worked in the Filter Rooms of Fighter Command, directing Spitfires and Hurricanes to battle Nazi intruders.

She and another South Wales RAF veteran, 94-year-old Harry Poloway from Newport, joined the most senior RAF officer in Wales, Air Commodore Adrian Williams (Air Officer Wales) in taking a salute as the pair of fighters flew low over the showground.

On joining up at the age of 19, Eileen completed her initial training at RAF Innsworth, near Gloucester and later at RAF Leighton Buzzard. She was later served near Bath, where she proved herself to be fast and accurate enough to be commissioned as a Filterer Officer.

These were the people who had to interpret radar intercepts into usable information for fighter aircraft to use in protecting British airspace.

She later worked on tracking German missiles and she detected the first V-2 rocket launched against London.

The flypast was organised as part of the celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle which saw the RAF stop German attempts to crush British resistance as a prelude to invasion.

Eileen, who has the BEM, said it was emotional day: “It brought back many memories. I often heard Spitfires before I joined up but also it reminded me of all the years I spent tracking them when I was in the RAF.”

She was pleased by the reaction of the crowd: “It was very encouraging to see the reaction of the crowd and some of the young people.”

She added: “Youngsters should be brought up to understand what previous generations gave up when they worked towards peace, otherwise we’d be speaking German now and I don’t think kids realise this.

“I think schools should teach more about the Second World War.”

Digital Editor Martin Wade, an RAF reservist with 614 (County of Glamorgan) Squadron, took Eileen and Harry to and from the Royal Welsh at Builth Wells and escorted him on to the showground.