Betty Parsons

Betty Parsons worked at the Supermarine factory in Southampton that built the Spitfire, the fighter aircraft that became the symbol of British resistance. After the original Woolston factory was destroyed by Luftwaffe bombing in September 1940, production was dispersed to workshops across Hampshire. Betty worked in a converted bus garage in Southampton, fitting wing components. She was one of the 'Spitfire Girls' whose hands built the planes that won the Battle of Britain. The Southampton Blitz destroyed her family home, but she never missed a shift. She later said the Spitfire was the most graceful thing she ever helped create.