A former RAF radar operator who played a crucial role guiding Allied aircraft to safety during the Second World War has marked her 103rd birthday surrounded by serving personnel and veterans.
Molly Gillon celebrated the milestone at Eastside Gardens care home in North Tyneside, where members of the RAF and the RAF Association gathered to honour her remarkable wartime contribution.
Mrs Gillon worked from an underground facility in Northumberland, operating cutting-edge radar equipment to track enemy aircraft and bring British planes home safely under cover of darkness.
"I felt as though I was doing something good, bringing the aircraft back from bombing raids with the radar," she said.
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The centenarian said she retained vivid memories of her service.
Mrs Gillon enlisted in the Royal Air Force at just 18 years of age, driven by personal tragedy. Her brother Tom, an airman, had been shot down and killed in Egypt only months earlier.
She had initially intended to take up work in a munitions factory, but chose instead to serve in the same branch of the armed forces where her brother had given his life.
Her son Paul, 66, explained: "My mum joined when she was 18 after her brother was shot down in Egypt some months before. She was going to work in a munitions factory but she joined the RAF instead."
A former RAF radar operator who played a crucial role guiding Allied aircraft to safety during the Second World War has marked her 103rd birthday surrounded by serving personnel and veterans
|PA
Once trained, Mrs Gillon operated sophisticated 360-degree radar systems, directing Spitfire pilots towards incoming Luftwaffe bombers and helping crews return safely from night operations.
The burden of her duties extended far beyond technical operations.
On occasion, Mrs Gillon found herself speaking with Allied aircrews whose aircraft had sustained such severe damage during missions that they would never reach home.
"She knew she was going to be the last person they spoke to," her son revealed.
The secrecy surrounding her work meant Mrs Gillon could share nothing with friends or family at the time, and she maintained that silence for decades afterwards, never discussing her service with her own children.
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Molly Gillon enlisted in the Royal Air Force at just 18 years of age after her brother Tom had been shot down and killed in Egypt
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Mr Gillon only discovered the full extent of his mother's wartime role in recent weeks whilst preparing for her birthday celebrations.
"I only found out about this in the last month, in preparation for her birthday I cannot tell you how vexed I am," he said.
An RAF spokesman expressed the service's pride in marking the occasion: "The Royal Air Force is delighted to wish Molly Gillon, one of our former radar operators, a very happy 103rd birthday.
"The serving RAF personnel and members of the RAF Association present were thrilled to be with her today to celebrate her special day."
Molly Gillon was surprised by the birthday party
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Christopher Lloyd-James, chairman of the Newcastle and Gateshead Royal Air Force Association, paid tribute to her contribution: "If it wasn't for Molly, we would have lost far more boys than we did."
Mrs Gillon, who was married to her late husband George and raised four children, thoroughly enjoyed the gathering.
Caroline Rowley, activities coordinator at the care home, said: "She has received cards and good wishes from the entire community, from local schools and residents to cub and scout groups."
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