Sarah Greenaway Miall (née Leith, 18 December 1918 – 6 October 2010), was a British rally driver and novelist, and a Second World War codebreaker at

Bletchley Park Bletchley Park is an English country house and estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire) that became the principal centre of Allied code-breaking during the Second World War. The mansion was constructed during the years following ...

Early life

She was born Sarah Greenaway Leith on 18 December 1918 at New Hall,

Romford Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, Romfo ...

, Essex, the daughter of (George Easlemont) Gordon Leith (1885–1965), a South African architect who had served as a captain in the Royal Field Artillery (and was recovering from a Western Front gas attack at the time of her birth), and his wife, Ethel Mary Leith, née Cox (1888–1974). Most of Sally's childhood took place in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

. In 1934, together with her mother and two sisters, she went back to England, and was educated at

Roedean School Roedean School is an independent day and boarding school founded in 1885 in Roedean Village on the outskirts of Brighton, East Sussex, England, and governed by Royal Charter. It is for girls aged 11 to 18. The campus is situated near the Sus ...

near Brighton, followed by a bachelor's degree in English from

Newnham College, Cambridge Newnham College is a women's constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1871 by a group organising Lectures for Ladies, members of which included philosopher Henry Sidgwick and suffragist campaigner Millicent ...

Career

During the Second World War, she worked as a codebreaker at

. In 1956, Sally won the ladies' cup in the

Acropolis Rally The Acropolis Rally of Greece ( el, Ράλλυ Ακρόπολις) is a rally competition that is part of the World Rally Championship (WRC). The rally is held on very dusty, rough, rocky and fast mountain roads in mainland Greece, usually du ...

in Athens, Greece, driving a

Fiat 600 The Fiat 600 ( it, Seicento, ) is a rear-engine, water-cooled city car, manufactured and marketed by Fiat from 1955 to 1969 — offered in two-door fastback sedan and four-door Multipla mini MPV body styles. Measuring only long, its all-new ...

. She worked as secretary to the British School in Athens, and served a committee of academic archaeologists from the London office in

Gordon Square Gordon Square is a public park square in Bloomsbury, London, England. It is part of the Bedford Estate and was designed as one of a pair with the nearby Tavistock Square. It is owned by the University of London. History and buildings The s ...

, which involved yearly trips to various archaeological digs in Greece run by the school. As Sally Bicknell, she published several novels, including ''The Midwinter Violins'' (1973), ''The Summer of the Warehouse'' (1979), and ''Follow that Uncle!'' (1980).

Selected publications

*''The Midwinter Violins'' (1973) *''The Summer of the Warehouse'' (1979) *''Follow that Uncle!'' (1980)

Personal life

On 26 July 1940, Sally Leith married a fellow Cambridge student, Nigel Bicknell (1918–1990), then a pilot in the

Volunteer Reserve Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group wikt:gratis, freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. O ...

. They had four sons together,

Stephen Bicknell Stephen Bicknell (20 December 1957 – 18 August 2007) was a leading British organ builder and writer about the organ. Early and family life Bicknell was born in Chelsea. His maternal grandfather was an architect and amateur violinist, and hi ...

(1957-2007) the organ builder and writer about the organ, and Marcus, Alexander and Julian. They divorced in 1975, and later that year, she married the BBC broadcaster and administrator Leonard Miall (1914-2005).

Later life

After her second husband died in 2005, she continued to live at Maryfield Cottage in

Taplow Taplow is a village and civil parish in the Unitary Authority of Buckinghamshire, England. It sits on the left bank of the River Thames, facing Maidenhead in the neighbouring county of Berkshire, with Cippenham and Burnham to the east. It is the ...

until shortly before her death from

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

on 6 October 2010 at Austenwood Nursing Home in

Gerrards Cross Gerrards Cross is a town and civil parish in south Buckinghamshire, England, separated from the London Borough of Hillingdon at Harefield by Denham, south of Chalfont St Peter and north bordering villages of Fulmer, Hedgerley, Iver Heath a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miall, Sally 1918 births 2010 deaths Sportspeople from Romford 20th-century British novelists Female rally drivers Bletchley Park people People educated at Roedean School, East Sussex Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge Deaths from colorectal cancer