World War II Woman

The Red Phone Between Churchill and Eisenhower

Jean grew up in West Kirby, west of Liverpool in England. In 1939, she joined the auxiliary of the RAF (Royal Air Force). Her first assignment was to the 8^th Air Force base at Sealand, near Chester, England. She was in radar and telephone operations there for about a year before being sent to RAF headquarters in London.

There her group was stationed at Albert Square, across from the Royal Albert Hall, where several apartment buildings had been taken over by the RAF for offices and housing. Bombing occurred regularly night and day. One night a direct hit demolished her quarters killing 33 of her co-workers and friends. She was on duty and missed the direct hit but was hit by falling bricks. The sirens sounded for three and a half hours.

Her assignment while in London was in charge of the Red phone between Prime Minister Churchill and General Eisenhower. Churchill was in a bunker below Piccadilly Circus; Eisenhower at his headquarters somewhere in London. Jean recalls Mr. Churchill coming on the phone with nothing more than the word, “Eisenhower.” On the other hand, Gen. Eisenhower would say, “Good morning, may I have the Prime Minister?” Also, she and Gen. Eisenhower shared a common birthday. On that day he would come on the phone saying, “Good morning, many happy returns. What are we going to do to celebrate today?” Because of her excellent service, Jean was awarded the Air Force Medal by the Prime Minister on the steps of the Guild Hall.

Jean served in headquarters until November of 1943 when she received a much deserved R&R at Hereford in the Midlands at Credenhill Air Force base. She remained there until the end of the war, and where she met and married her GI husband. They have been married 63 years. Jean came to the United States in 1945 as a GI bride.

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