Patricia Howard
Patricia Magill was the first regular British Women's Royal Air Force officer to wear an aircrew brevet and therefore the first to serve in the General Duties Branch.
Howard grew up in Minster-in-Sheppey on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England, and was educated at Sheppey Technical High School. She joined the WRAF as an air traffic control assistant, but later qualified as an air quartermaster with the rank of sergeant. She served with No.10 Squadron at RAF Brize Norton, No. 511 Squadron, the Queen's Flight, and No. 216 Squadron.
On 21 February 1974, six years after she qualified as aircrew and at the age of 26, Howard was commissioned as a flying officer from the Officer Cadet Training Unit at RAF Henlow. She was promoted flight lieutenant on 21 February 1976.
She married on 2 April 1977, taking the surname Magill, and retired as a flight lieutenant on 25 March 1985.Footnotes
