Sheila McGuffie later Sheila Anscombe (14 December 1911 - 2007) was an aeronautical engineer, who was part of the team that developed the first jet engine.

Early life and education

Sheila Emmet McGuffie was born on 14 December 1911 in

Whaley Bridge Whaley Bridge () is a town and civil parish in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England. It is situated on the River Goyt, south-east of Manchester, north of Buxton, north-east of Macclesfield and west of Sheffield. It had a population ...

, Derbyshire to Evelyn Maud (née Emmett) and John Carruthers McGuffie, one of five children. She studied Electrical Engineering at the

Victoria University of Manchester The Victoria University of Manchester, usually referred to as simply the University of Manchester, was a university in Manchester, England. It was founded in 1851 as Owens College. In 1880, the college joined the federal Victoria University. Afte ...

and graduated in 1932 with an honours degree. She was one of two women to graduate from the department at the same time, the other being

Beatrice Shilling Beatrice Shilling (8 March 1909 – 18 November 1990) was a British aeronautical engineer, motorcycle racer and sports car racer. In 1949, Shilling was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. During the Second World War Shi ...

. In an article written by McGuffie in the Glasgow Herald in 1950, she recalled that only four women took degrees in engineering in the UK in the year she graduated, which was a record number. In the same article she recalled riding pillion on Shillings' motor bike over Manchester's cobbled streets.

Career

McGuffie found it difficult to obtain employment after graduating and started her career as an apprentice in electrical contracting and house wiring, about which she later wrote an article in ''

The Woman Engineer The Women's Engineering Society is a United Kingdom professional learned society and networking body for women engineers, scientists and technologists. It was the first professional body set up for women working in all areas of engineering, pred ...

''. She subsequently spent three years as a test records engineer at A.C Engineers,

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

and then from 1936 worked as a wind tunnel scientist at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. She gained her pilot's A licence (No. 14060) while working there, on the 17 July 1936 flying a

Pobjoy Pobjoy Airmotors and Aircraft was a British manufacturer of small aircraft engines. The company was purchased by Short Brothers shortly before the start of World War II, production continuing until the end of the war. History Douglas Rudolf P ...

aircraft at Coventry Aeroplane Club. She was the first woman member and the tenth pupil of the Coventry Aviation Group to fly solo. McGuffie married Leonard Douglas Anscombe, an electrical designer and fellow pilot in the Coventry club in June 1938 at

Chapel en le Frith Chapel-en-le-Frith () is a town and civil parish in the Borough of High Peak in Derbyshire, England. It has been dubbed the "Capital of the Peak", in reference to the Peak District, historically the upperland areas between the Saxon lands (belo ...

, where her parents had settled. She kept flying as a member of the Civil Air Guard. Now known as Sheila Anscombe, she worked as a test engineer at Power Jets from 1940 to 1942 with

Frank Whittle Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...

's team developing the first jet engine, and she was present at the first flight at Cranwell in May 1941. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

McGuffie also worked as an ambulance driver.

Professional memberships

Royal Aeronautical Society The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest aeronautical society in the world. Members, Fellows, ...

(student/full member) *

Women's Engineering Society The Women's Engineering Society is a United Kingdom professional learned society and networking body for women engineers, scientists and technologists. It was the first professional body set up for women working in all areas of engineering, pred ...

(member)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGuffie, Sheila 1911 births 2007 deaths Alumni of the Victoria University of Manchester English aerospace engineers British women engineers British women in World War II People from Macclesfield Women's Engineering Society