Patricia Owtram (15:15 BST)

A rare opportunity to hear from Patricia Owtram, one of the last veterans of the ‘Secret War’, 100 years old, a remarkable WW2 Women’s Royal Naval Service Special Duties Interceptor whose knowledge of German played a pivotal role in obtaining crucial Enigma code for Bletchley Park and the Admiralty.

Pat reflects on the secrecy of the ‘Y’ Service (wireless interception) and the impact of the war on her family including not knowing that her sister Jean was serving with the Special Operations executive (S.O.E). At the same time, their father was a prisoner of war on the river Kwai. Pat’s vital work in the lead-up to D-Day led to her being awarded the Legion of Honour by the French government.

From a fairytale childhood to playing a crucial role in turning the tide of war Pat went on to become a journalist and a pioneering woman TV producer.

Codebreaking Sisters and Century Sisters were both co-written with her late sister Jean.

In conversation with Simon Robinson

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