Joan Bright Astley 1910 - 2008

Many women played a remarkable part during the Second World War, but certainly few more remarkable than Mrs Astley.

She performed two outstanding tasks for Britain and the anti-Nazi combination.

Working in the office of General Ismay, who as Chief of Staff to Churchill as Minister of Defence was the lynch-pin of the British military effort, she organized and maintained a highly confidential service of information to the Commanders in the field.

As the war rolled on and the great Allied conferences burgeoned, it became her function to make in advance the ‘housekeeping’ arrangements.

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