Air Transport Auxiliary Women

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: World_War_II

Contents 1 Air Transport Auxiliary Women of World War II 1.1 Introduction 1.2 List of ATA women 1.3 Sources

Air Transport Auxiliary Women of World War II

Introduction

In January 1940, eight female pilots ferried open-cockpit training planes (De Havilland Tiger Moths) in harsh wintry conditions from a muddy base at Hatfield, near the De Havilland factory, up to Scotland. It was a modest start, but within a few years this group of female flyers would be at the controls of fighter planes and four-engine bombers. In time their numbers would swell to 168 out of a total of 1,245 ATA ferry pilots and engineers. In a sense, it was a backroom job, flying across the country, getting the planes to where they desperately needed to be. But without the combined efforts of the ATA’s 4,000 employees, the outcome of the war could have been very different.

During the war the ATA earned itself the nickname Foreign Legion of the Air, with pilots coming from 28 different countries. Twenty-five enthusiastic and experienced female flyers from the USA joined the ATA in 1942. Four women from New Zealand determinedly paid their own passage in order to be part of history. One woman, 19-year-old Margot ‘Chilli’ Duhalde, spoke no English at all on arrival, yet went forth with the same sense of courageous daring. These women embodied the ATA motto, ‘eager for the air’.

Sometimes pilots would fly six different types of plane in just one day’s endeavour, ferrying Spitfires, Hurricanes, Barracudas, Harvards, Wellingtons, Tempests and Lancaster bombers in the ever-changing British weather without radios or navigation aids. Because they were required to stay within sight of the ground, they were not taught the art of flying with instruments. They flew ‘blind’ with just maps, a compass and a watch, though some would eventually make it their business to teach themselves instrument flying by scrounging sessions in an early flight simulator called a Link Trainer. It wasn’t until after D-Day in June 1944 that pilots were taught how to use radios.

During WWII, over 20,000 Spitfires were produced in the Southampton and Castle Bromwich factories, so the women flyers were based at two separate ferry ‘pools’ close to the Spitfire factories – one in Hamble, Southampton and the other near Cosford. The women worked 13 successive days on, followed by two days off. Each day’s routine – flying to and from factories, front line squadrons and maintenance units – would begin at the ferry pools with the handing out of delivery chits.

List of ATA women

Surname when Joined ATA	Maiden/Married Name(s)	First Names	Flag	Date Joined
Agazarian		Mary 'Monique' Jacqueline		18-Oct-1943
Akerman	Crichton	Jean		08-May-1944
Alexander		Susan Mary Aurea		08-May-1944
Allen	Heron-Maxwell, Thomas	Helen Naomi		24-Feb-1942
Allen	Stapledon, Marshall	Joan Mary		15-Jul-1942
Allen	Carter, Willer	Myrtle Rita 'Mikki'		12-Aug-1942
Arckless		Irene		01-Aug-1941
Arthur		Joan Henrietta		08-May-1944
Bailey	Westenra	Mary		15-Feb-1940
Baines	Colby, Johnson	Rita Pauline		28-Dec-1943
Banister	Whittow	Eirene Rosemary		12-Jul-1943
Beaumont		Edith		20-Sep-1943
Bell		Betty		01-Apr-1942
Bell		Dorothy Ritson		08-May-1944
Bennett	Booth	Philippa Mary		26-Jun-1940
Bennett	Riddick, Newmark	Margaret Ellen 'Faith'		08-Jul-1941
Beverley	Seeman	Patricia Gladys		29-Jul-1942
Bird		Jean Lennox		01-Aug-1941
Black	Beaumont	Betty Ellice		15-Apr-1942
Blackwell	Noble, Kendall	Patricia Annette		24-Feb-1942
Bonnett	Bell, Gibbs, Towers	Rosemary Leslie		21-Feb-1944
Bradford	Bragg	Cassandra Felicity		01-May-1941
Broad		Jennie		30-Jul-1940
Broadsmith		Joan Irwin		24-Jun-1942
Brown	Holmes	Grace		27-May-1940
Burnside	Gaurdon	Daphne Alice		06-May-1943
Butler	Reid	Lois		15-Feb-1940
Calver		Molly		24-Jun-1942
Chapin		Emily		18-Aug-1942
Chapman	Hartman, Lofthouse	Suzanne Palmer		21-Feb-1944
Chalmondeley		Victoria Millicent		10-Mar-1941
Clark		Helen Riddell		08-May-1944
Clayton		Edna Violet 'Sammy'		01-Mar-1941
Cochran-Odlum	Pittman, Cochran	Jacqueline		24-Jan-1942
Colby	Morin	Louise Marie Melina		01-Aug-1941
Bowyer	Cripps	Barbara Petronella		14-Jun-1943
Crossley	Harrisson, Fair	Winifred Mary		01-Jan-1940
Crossley		Fidelia Josephine		16-Dec-1940
Cunnington		Joan		01-Jun-1943
Cunnison	Ebbage	Margaret MacDonald		01-Jan-1940
Curtis		Eleanor 'Lettice'		06-Jul-1940
Cyphus		Sylvia		29-Jan-1944
d'Anacker	Baker	Mercedes		31-Mar-1942
Davies	Pond, Davey	Joy Dorothy Lilian		16-Sep-1942
Davis		Mavis Agnes Kennard		24-Jan-1944
Davison	Muntz	Elsie 'Joy'		01-Jul-1940
de Bunsen		Mary Berta		01-Aug-1941
de Neve	Jonklaas, Helen, Williams	Aimee		08-May-1944
Deane-Drummond	Rowland, Saville	Marigold		01-May-1943
Douglas	Edmonds, Welch	Anne Courtenay		01-Dec-1940
Duncan	Gollan	Pamela Mary Dauvergne		15-Aug-1941
Dunlop	de Popp	Maureen Adel Chase		15-Apr-1942
Edwards	Namias, Freshwater	Sylvia Isabel		09-Aug-1943
Eveleigh	Lucas	Yvonne Margaret B 'Peggy'		21-Feb-1944
Everard-Steenkamp	Everard	Rosamund King		07-Feb-1944
Fairweather	Runciman, King-Farlow	Margaret 'Margie'		01-Jan-1940
Falkiner	Verney-Cave	Lucy Agnes Vera		01-Apr-1941
Farnell	Schlesinger, New, Boswell	Diane Elaine		16-Sep-1940
Farquhar	Cole	Marjorie June		22-Jan-1944
Farr		Virginia		10-Feb-1942
Faunthorpe	Home	Diana		21-Feb-1944
Fenwick	Tharp, Few	Joyce Ann		21-Feb-1944
Ferguson		Irene Joy	Image:UK Flags-2.jpg	01-May-1943
Fish	Wadsworth	Eleanor Dorothy		01-Jun-1943
Forbes		Dorothy Joyce		01-May-1943
Ford	Humphreys, de Florez	Suzanne		14-Apr-1942
Friedlander	Forward	Mona Renee Vera Ernesta		01-Jan-1940
Frost		Margaret Olive 'Maggie'		25-Nov-1942
Fuller-Hall	Pennington-Legh	Rosemary Lilian		02-Dec-1941
Furey	Bragg, Beatty, Hewitt	Dorothy Rita		10-Feb-1942
Furkert	Power-Collins	Edith Elizabeth 'Marie'		30-Aug-1943
Garrett	Wilcoxon	Sheila		03-Apr-1944
Garst	Bottjer	Virginia Louise		14-Apr-1942
Gething	Gepp	Margaret Helen 'Mardi'		30-Jul-1942
Glass		Mabel	Image:UK Flags-2.jpg	08-Jul-1940
Goodman		Daphne		27-Aug-1943
Goodwin		Una Julia		10-Jun-1942
Gore		Margaret Wyndham 'Margot'		25-Jun-1940
Gough	Hartman, Lofthouse	Joyce 'Joy'		28-Dec-1943
Gower	Fahie	Pauline Mary de Peauly		01-Dec-1939
Grant	Hayman, d'Aguilar	Beatrice Glanley 'Betty'		16-Dec-1941
Grinling		Joan Mary		08-May-1944
Gripton		Muriel Joan		27-Mar-1943
Guinness		Miss		01-Mar-1941
Guthrie	Cunningham	Sylvia Mary		18-Oct-1943
Hansen-Lester	Abrams, Robinson	Daphne Elizabeth		23-Sep-1942
Harrison	Testemale, Barnes, de Waal, Harrison-Bristol	Helen Marcelle		01-May-1942
Hennings		Sophie Evelyn Veisa Mara		29-Nov-1943
Heppel		Rhoda Elinor		16-Dec-1941
Hill		Bridget Grace Marian Ledger		15-Aug-1941
Hoar		Jill Elizabeth		24-Jan-1944
Hotham		Jocelyn Mary Emma		15-Apr-1942
Howden	Gummer	June Constance		06-Dec-1943
Hrynakowska		Maria		18-Aug-1943
Hudson	Richards	Evelyn		10-Jun-1942
Hughes		Joan Lily Amelia		01-Jan-1940
Hunter	Corbett-Lowe, Colway	Mary Josephine		01-Mar-1941
Hunter		Trevor		01-Dec-1941
Hyam	Eisenstaht	Evelyn Tuttle		08-Jul-1942
Impey		Maisie Evelyn Montgomery		01-Nov-1943
Irwin		Zita Kathleen		15-Aug-1941
James		Lucie Margaret		29-Apr-1942
Jenkinson		Joan Molesworth		01-Mar-1941
Jenner		Zoe Elise		06-Sep-1943
Johnson	Mollison	Amy		25-May-1940
Jullian	de Scitivaux	Ginette Marie Hélène		27-Jan-1943
Keith-Jopp	Huggett	Eleanor Betty		08-May-1944
Kerly	Clark	Ruth Helen		23-Aug-1943
King		Mary Emily		24-Feb-1944
Knight-Bruce		Enid Frances Lilian		01-Apr-1941
Lambton	Nicholson, Ballard	Ethel 'Ruth'		25-Jun-1940
Lang	Tily	Dora		01-Sep-1941
Lankshear		Barbara Lilian		01-Feb-1944
Large		Kathleen Gloria		05-Jul-1942
Laster-Anderson	Averitt	Opal Pearl		10-Jun-1942
Leaf	Sharland	Freydis Mary		17-Feb-1943
Leathart		Constance Ruth 'Connie'		14-Aug-1940
Leith		Thelma Olga		18-May-1943
Lennox	Albertsen, Firkal, Drown	Margaret Elizabeth 'Peggy'		10-Jun-1942
Leska	Leska-Daab	Anna Zofia Maria		06-Jan-1941
Lester	Haylock	Kathleen Marjorie		14-Jun-1943
Lind		Eleanor		18-Oct-1943
Lott		Heather Marion		08-May-1944
Lussier		Betty Ann		17-Sep-1942
McPherson	Lovell-Pank	Jean Alston		15-Nov-1943
Macdougall	Evans	Elizabeth Anderson		16-Sep-1942
MacLeod	Wills	Rosemary Theodora Hamilton		07-Jun-1943
Macmillan	Mackenzie, Brocklehurst	Audrey Evelyn		26-Jun-1940
Mahon	Hill	Annette Elizabeth		08-May-1944
Marshall		Joan Esther		01-Oct-1941
May	Henderson	Elizabeth Francis		01-Mar-1941
Miller	Livingston, Stratford	Nancy Jane		09-Jul-1942
Miller	Rumball	Daphne Alfreda		25-May-1943
Milstead	Warren	Violet Beatrice		05-Apr-1943
Moore		Ruth Margaret		15-Apr-1941
Morgan	Filfield	Audrey Joan		06-Sep-1943
Mullineaux	Lee, Smyth	Joan Edwina Francis		01-May-1943
Murray		Lesley Cairns		01-May-1943
Nayler	Russell	Joan Emily		16-Dec-1941
Neve		Rita Mary		08-May-1944
Nicholson		Mary Webb		01-Aug-1942
Obermer		Ruth		01-Oct-1943
Orr	Powell	Marion Alice		05-Apr-1943
Paddon		Zita		27-Aug-1943
Pardoe		Joan Hilda		18-Oct-1943
Parker		Patricia Mary Barbara		01-Apr-1941
Parsons		Joan Alys Helen Mary		25-Jun-1940
Patterson	Burr	Gabrielle Ruth Millicent		01-Jan-1940
Petersen	Edwards	Stella Joyce		01-Jul-1943
Pierce	Coffee, Beasley, Olmi	Winnie Rawson		10-Feb-1942
Pilsudska	Jaraczewska	Jadwiga		05-Jul-1942
Pitman	Salmon	Honor Isabel		01-Mar-1941
Plant	Spencer	Jane Graham		31-Mar-1943
Potter	Forsstrom, Ross	Bernice 'Polly'		23-Apr-1942
Power	Moger	Cecile Eva Rosales		26-Jul-1943
Powys		Mary Elizabeth Anne		01-Jun-1943
Preston	Metcalfe	Ursula Mary		23-Jun-1940
Provis	Maslen Jones	Patricia Mary		21-Feb-1944
Raines		Hazel Jane		01-Apr-1942
Ramsay		Diana Patricia		16-Dec-1941
Ramsay	Boucher	Olive 'Joan'		25-Jul-1942
Ratliff	Clare, Boone, McElroy	Margaret Joan		10-Sep-1943
Reddicliffe		Sheila		08-May-1944
Rees	du Cros	Rosemary Theresa		01-Jan-1940
Reynolds		Delphine Rose		08-Apr-1942
Rhonie	Hofheimer, Bamberger, Brooks	Aline		30-Nov-1943
Richey		Helen		25-Mar-1942
Rose	Marshall	Mollie Daphne		16-Sep-1942
Rudge	Horsburgh	Frances Mary		21-Feb-1944
Russell		Margaret Elspeth		25-Sep-1943
Russell		Ruth Mary Hornsby		21-Feb-1944
Sale-Barker	Douglas-Hamilton	Audrey Florice Durrell Drummond		26-Jun-1940
Sandoz	Leveaux	Roberta Boyd 'Bobby'		12-Aug-1942
Sayer		Betty Eileen		01-Jul-1941
Scarth		Hilda Edmiston		29-Jan-1944
Schuurmann	Landers, Welters	Louise Emma Mathilde		10-Feb-1942
Sharpe		Roy Mary		03-Sep-1941
Sharpe		Ethel Elizabeth		01-Nov-1943
Shiel		Maureen Elizabeth		20-Sep-1943
Slade		Eleanor Isabella 'Susan'		01-Nov-1940
Smith	Clover	Diana Patricia Margaret Hutchinson		07-Oct-1942
Sorour	Moggridge	Dolores Theresa		31-Jul-1940
Sotomayor	Duhalde	Margot 'Chile'		01-Sep-1941
Spiller		Phyllis Margery		01-Mar-1941
Stanley Smith	Hirsch	Katherine Mary		08-May-1944
Stearns	Magalis, Grissom	Edith Foltz		10-Jun-1942
Stevenson		Grace		14-Apr-1942
Stewart		Dorothy Margaret		08-May-1944
Stokes		Winifred		21-Feb-1944
Strodl	Dowling	Vera Elsie		02-Dec-1941
Stroud		Hilda Mary		24-Jan-1944
Thackeray		Margaret Elizabeth		15-Apr-1942
Tildesley		Dora Joyce		08-May-1944
Tointon		Sheila Marion		08-May-1944
Tollemache	Lloyd-Worth	Hon. Frances Patricia		31-Jan-1941
Townshend		Eveline		10-Mar-1942
Traherne		Olivera Rowena		01-Jul-1942
Johnsen	Tulk-Hart	Pamela May Braddyl		25-Aug-1942
van Doozer		Catherine Kay 'Rel'		09-Jun-1942
Veldhuyzen van Zanten		Ida Laura		18-May-1943
Volkersz	Innes	Veronica May		01-Mar-1941
Walker	Barnato	Diana		02-Dec-1941
Walker	Duncan	Anne		17-Jul-1942
Wheatley	Gough, MacDonald	Yvonne		06-Sep-1943
Whittall		Taniya		01-Sep-1942
Whittington		Betty Olive		01-Jun-1943
Wilberforce	Ogilvie-Forbes	Marion Katherine Ogilvie		01-Jan-1940
Wilkes		Jeannette Ann		27-Mar-1943
Wilkins	Ellis	Mary		01-Oct-1941
Williams	Illsley	Katie Doreen		01-Sep-1941
Willis	Day	Benedetta		01-Sep-1941
Willson		Sheila		08-May-1944
Wilson	Ellis-Jones	Irene Mary Ellis		01-Jun-1943
Winstone		Jane		01-Aug-1942
Witherby	Wilkinson, Hale	Joan Durham		17-Jun-1942
Witt	Haselden	Muriel Elyse		24-Jun-1942
Wojtulanis	Wojtulanis-Karpinska	Stefania Cecylia		01-Jan-1941
Wood	Wood-Kelly	Ann Watson		29-Apr-1942
Wynne-Eyton	Blandy-Jenkins, Silver, Christie-Miller	Helen		01-Nov-1940
Zerbel	Forrest, Hooper, Ford	Mary Estelle		11-Jun-1942

Sources

• The History Press Doing their bit’: The female fighter pilots of World War II.
• The Ferry Pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary - ATA Women Pilots
• Royal Airforce Museum online exhibition