The wartime reminiscences of an Ilkley woman are a major part of a new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum.

Edith Kup was an intelligence officer with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) during the Battle of Britain, plotting the movements of aircraft across the English Channel.

And it was in this role she discovered the death of her fiancé, fighter pilot Dennis Wissler, as he helped protect Britain from the Nazis and enemy invasion.

Now, 70 years on, Mrs Kup has been interviewed for the exhibition at the museum in London, while a diary she kept at the time describing pilots returning from battle and the devastating physical and mental effects of the war, is on display too.

The interview and diary, entitled Memoirs of a Wartime WAAF, form part of the Explore History 1940 exhibition, chronicling stories from the time and the momentous events that helped determine the outcome of the Second World War.

The events covered include Winston Churchill’s rise to power, the evacuation of Dunkirk, the occupation of the Channel Islands and the Blitz.

But Mrs Kup’s tale of wartime love and heartbreak is perhaps the most poignant of stories at the museum.

After training in Yeadon, she was based in Debdon, Essex, when she met Mr Wissler and the pair embarked on an intense three-month romance.

They were due to be married in 1941 but tragedy struck in November 1940 as Mrs Kup was on duty and she realised the love of her life had been killed.

“I heard somebody say ‘there’s blue four going down’ and there was no sign of anything else and suddenly I thought ‘Oh my God, I know who it is’,” Mrs Kup told the exhibition.

Mrs Kup, 91, eventually married a doctor and had two children but she was unable to forget Mr Wissler and her marriage ended after seven years. The pensioner’s memories have previously been recalled in a BBC documentary a decade ago but Mrs Kup now prefers to stay out of the limelight.

However, her full story has been chronicled by the museum as part of their extensive look at life in Britain during the tumultuous times.

It is part of the museum’s Explore History project, which includes the Explore History Centre offering new an improved access to the museum’s archives.

Di Lees, director general of the museum, said: “The Imperial War Museum tells the story of war and conflict involving Britain and the Commonwealth since 1900 and our collections within this remit are unrivalled.

“Whether it’s in the Explore History Centre, the Research Room or Explore History 1940, we hope the new improved enhanced access to intriguing items and individual stories will enrich people’s understanding of the causes, course and consequence of modern war.”