Women who did their bit

THE Lancaster bombing campaign was formidable in the air — but also on the ground.

It has been estimated that more than 1.15 million people were involved in its production when output was at its peak, a vast workforce — almost half were women — that has never been matched for the manufacture of any other British product in history.

All these workers played their part in the Allied victory, as did all the maintenance and ground crews at the bomber bases, as well as the Avro Repair Group, which was putting 30 damaged Lancasters a week back in the air at the height of the war.