Celebrating the RAF’s trailblazing women

THIS International Women’s Day (held on Sunday, March 8) the RAF Benevolent Fund celebrated the female RAF trailblazers who embody the motto of the Royal Air Force – Per Ardua Ad Astra – through adversity to the stars.

These women have served our country with huge distinction and in doing so have continued the legacies of their predecessors, the WRAF and WAAF who bravely fought during the First and Second World War.

One of those trailblazers is Caroline Paige, the first transgender officer to transition openly while serving in the UK Armed Forces in 1999. Lauded as a tactical expert on battlefield helicopter operations, Caroline enjoyed a 35-year career in the RAF.

She has spent the last 20 years championing diversity in the workplace and knows from her own experience, talking about these issues helps people understand themselves and the people around them.

For Kirsty Murphy, the RAF’s first and, to date, only female Red Arrows pilot, inspiring young girls watching the acrobatic team’s jaw-dropping displays was the best part of the job.

During her 17-year career in the RAF, Kirsty trained as a GR4 Tornado pilot and since leaving the service has flown with the Blades Aerobatic Display Team.

As the RAF’s first female Air-Vice Marshal, Elaine West climbed to the top of her profession.

She has since become a trustee for the RAF Benevolent Fund, continuing her work looking after the welfare needs of the RAF Family.

All three of these remarkable women have gone on to do remarkable things since leaving the RAF and we are proud to call them friends of the RAF Benevolent Fund, supporting our work providing assistance to serving and retired personnel and their dependants.

Air Vice-Marchal David Murray Chief executive, RAF Benevolent Fund