Description
Object description
British civilian officer served as pilot with Air Transport Auxiliary at Hatfield Ferry Pool and No 15 Ferry Pool ATA Hamble in GB, 1940-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1901-1939: family; education; training to be a dancer; travelling with her father; social life including presentation to King and Queen at Court. Recollections of flying experience in GB, 1933-1939: receiving first aircraft as present from mother; lack of restrictions on flying; first flight and learning to fly; gaining private pilot's license; flying trips into Europe; private owners rallies; relations with Germans, 1933-1939.
REEL 2 Continues: male attitude towards female pilots; attitude of passengers towards flying with her; gaining flying instructor's license, 1938; working for Army Co-Operation Command, RAF; outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of enlistment in Air Transport Auxiliary in GB, 1939: joining Air Transport Auxiliary, 1939; air test; selection as one of first eight women pilots for Air Transport Auxiliary; attitude towards other women pilots. Recollections of period with Air Transport Auxiliary at Hatfield Ferry Pool in GB, 1940-1941: memories of commanding officer Pauline Gower; public attitude towards women pilots; media interest in women pilots.
REEL 3 Continues: media interest in women pilots; uniform and issue of trousers to women; daily routine; length of journeys; Air Transport Auxiliary notes on how to fly different aircraft; weather conditions; initial lack of amenities for women on airfields; male attitude towards women pilots; relations between male and female members of Air Transport Auxiliary; relations between female pilots in Air Transport Auxiliary; training to fly four engined aircraft; expansion of Air Transport Auxiliary; different types of aircraft flown.
REEL 4 Continues: duties flying the 'Taxi'; allocation of aircraft to pilots. Recollections of period with Air Transport Auxiliary at No 15 Ferry Pool ATA Hamble in GB, 1941-1945: promotion to flight captain; pay; duties; casualties; accidents; relations between ground crew and pilots; ferrying aircraft for repairs or scrap; blackouts; German V1 Flying Bomb attacks.
REEL 5 Continues: billets; food rations; annual medicals; leave; social life. Aspects of period with Air Transport Auxiliary at No 1 Ferry Pool ATA White Waltham in GB, 1945: closure of No 15 Ferry Pool ATA Hamble; opinion of commanding officer. Aspects of setting up taxi flight service in GB, post-1945: passenger flights abroad; witnessing war devastation whilst flying over Europe; period with Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, post-1945.