A Marlow resident who was recognised for her RAF service has sadly passed away earlier this month after living in the town for almost sixty years.
The 98-year-old was once introduced to Prince Charles whilst attending the annual Battle of Britain Memorial service at Westminster Abbey.
During her service, Kath McLeod worked on the highly secret Dowding Radar System which was vital to the defence of the UK.
She also served in World War Two and at a base near Weymouth on D-Day where she witnessed the almost endless stream of aircraft.
After the war, Kath had to regain the use of her limbs after contracting Polio after being put on a ventilator to save her life.
Kath then moved to Marlow in 1964 where she played competitively and taught the juniors at the Marlow Lawn Tennis Club and was also a member of Marlow Bowls Club.
She was also a member of the Riverside Badminton Club and joined Flackwell Heath Golf Club in 1978 where she won cups and competitions continuing to play into her nineties.
Her family moved to London when she was six months old and she attended Ealing Primary School, followed by Haberdashers Aske in West Acton where she excelled at sport.
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She was a Clerk for Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) completing her specialist training in 1943 and was later posted she was posted to Trelanvean which provided cover for Falmouth.
Stationed in Ringstead in 1944 during the time the first cruise missile campaign was in full swing.
The Arado 234 was the first operational jet aircraft and was used by the Luftwaffe mainly for reconnaissance making frequent runs along the south coast far outstripping the defending fighters.
Known to the surveillance teams as ‘photo Freddy’ Kath was on duty on a number of occasions detecting and tracking these aircraft.
As the Allies advanced across Europe Kath was posted to the long-range surveillance unit at Canewdon which was in the front line of the defense.
The first V2 rockets fell on London on September 8 1944 and it was quickly discovered that long-range surveillance units on the East coast could detect the missiles.
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Kath was posted to the long-range surveillance unit at Gt Bromley which was one of five units that were rapidly modified to detect and track V2 launches.
After the end of the war, Kath got married to Ian setting up home in Wembley having three children, Barbara in 1947, Ann in 1951, and finally Keith in 1955.
Widowed in 1996, Kath died on May 6 and is survived by her brother, three children, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
Book of condolence for Kath McLeod
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