Gwen Piper: 'Within six months I was in uniform'

Gwen Piper had been evacuated to Kent with her school. She remembers the Battle of Britain being fought in the skies above them, so, when the time came she decided to enlist in the WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force).

She started off training as a mechanic but discovered she had no aptitude for that role. Her talents lay in meteorology and she played a vital part in helping aircrew fly safely by monitoring the changeable weather, especially cloud conditions, at the bases where she was stationed.

Watch more stories from the We Were There project.

Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in 2025, the BBC is trying to gather as many first-hand accounts from surviving veterans as possible, to preserve them for future generations.

If you have a story to share, or know someone who does, please use this form to tell us a little bit more or email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, external.