Women in War by Celia Lee & Paul Strong

Author:Celia Lee & Paul Strong
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783830954
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2013-08-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Hurricanes and Handbags

Women RAF Ferry Pilots during the Second World War

Mike Ryan

At the height of the summer of 1940, during the famous Battle of Britain, Royal Air Force (RAF) Spitfires and Hurricanes twisted and turned high above the streets of London, engaging the might of Hitler’s Luftwaffe. How many people on the ground gazing up in awe at the spectacle that passed for daily life, ever spared a thought as to who actually delivered our pilots’ aircraft to their airfields? The answer is certainly, precious few, as the ‘flyboys’ who flew these aircraft were the heroes of the day, and nobody else. And yet, were it not for these mysterious people who lived in the shadows, our RAF would have ground to a halt in no time, as we had barely enough pilots to fly combat missions, let alone mundane ferrying flights.

So who were these secretive people who kept the RAF supplied with their aircraft? It may surprise even the modern reader to learn that many were actually young women, serving in a little known organisation called The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). Indeed, I only became aware of it through my late aunt Lil, who at one time during the Battle of Britain, volunteered for service in the organisation, following the tragic loss of her fighter pilot boyfriend, during a dogfight over southern England. Losing a personal, close friend in war is always hard to bear, but for my aunt her situation was particularly traumatic as she was at the time of her boyfriend’s death on duty in the Operations room (Ops room) that was controlling his flight on that fateful day. He, of course knew this, and once hit, and knowing his demise was imminent, he bade her a last farewell over the radio, saying: ‘Goodbye darling’, just before it went silent.

It was a very moving experience for all concerned who were working in the Ops room that day. There were those who felt that my aunt had done more than her fair share and should now step down and take some time out to grieve and come to terms with her loss. Lil, however, would have none of it, and wanted to get back into the fight as soon as possible. She immediately put herself forward for flight training in the Air Transport Auxiliary, and was pleasantly surprised when her application was accepted. Her dream though was sadly dashed when her mother, who was also serving in the British armed forces, refused to sign her parental consent form as she felt the risks associated with a young girl flying an aeroplane in wartime were just too great. Another reason stemmed from her quite legitimate concern for the rest of her large young family, who were living on a farm in Ireland, without both their mother and their eldest sister. It was what could be described as a case of tough love for all the right reasons.

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