A commemorative plaque has been unveiled in Leighton Buzzard to honour the secret work carried out at Q Central during World War Two, with one family reflecting on what it would have meant to their relative.
Justine Pearson said her grandmother, Joan Spencer, who died last year aged 102, would have been proud and emotional to see recognition for her service. Ms Spencer worked at Q Central, a top-secret communications base in underground tunnels at the former RAF Leighton Buzzard site, although she was unaware of the full scope of the operation at the time due to the strict secrecy surrounding it.
During her lunch breaks, Ms Spencer recalled discovering her bicycle had been spray-painted to conceal staff activity at the base, initially believing her task was a mundane chore rather than part of a vital wartime operation. In later years, she shared stories about helping the war effort but tended to downplay her role, enjoying recounting them only within her family.
Q Central operated the largest telephone exchange in the world during the war, with over 5,000 staff managing critical military communications. The base co-ordinated key operations including the Battle of Britain and D-Day, working alongside the more widely known Bletchley Park code-breaking centre. Its location near Leighton Buzzard was chosen for transport convenience and minimal military visibility.
The plaque was unveiled by Alex Mayer, the first female MP for the Leighton Buzzard area, who emphasised the importance of recognising the contributions of the thousands of women who worked at the site. Ms Pearson said: “If she could have been here, she would have been absolutely emotional. She would have been really, really happy.”
