Dorothy Hatfield

Dorothy Helen Hatfield OBE FRAeS (née McRither) (January 1940 – 16 April 2024) was a British aeronautical engineer. In 1956, she was the first female engineering apprentice at Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft), Brooklands. She became President of the Women's Engineering Society and was instrumental in setting up the Daphne Jackson Trust and the Lady Finniston Award for first year female engineering students. Hatfield was appointed an OBE for services to engineering in the 2014 Birthday Honours.

Early life and education

Dorothy McRither was born in January 1940 and brought up in Surrey. She left school at 16 and, in 1956, successfully applied to be an engineering apprentice at Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd, Brooklands, the first woman to do so. After six years, she graduated with a first class honours degree in aeronautical engineering.

McRither married a fellow apprentice and took his surname Hatfield. They had three children who Hatfield took a career break to raise. and an OBE in 2014 for her services to engineering.