- Registered under the 'ATA Wings' Scheme

Winding Down - what to do next?

Seventy-five ATA Ferry pilots, both experienced and relative newcomers, applied for Royal Aero Club Certificates in the last few months of 1945 under what was called the 'ATA Wings' Scheme, although it's not clear whether they actually did the (very basic) flying test, or simply recorded the number of hours on the highest aircraft 'class' on which they were qualified..

For example:

[The Royal Aero Club Certificate or 'Ticket' normally involved:

• 2 distance flights of at least 5km each, including:
• 1 altitude flight with a minimum height of 50 metres

The rules declared that:

• “The course should be marked out by two posts no more than 500 metres apart. After each turn round one of the posts, the pilot must change the direction of flight when going round the second post so the circuit is an uninterrupted series of figures of eight”

“The method of alighting for each of the flights should be with the motor stopped at, or before, touching the ground. The aeroplane must come to rest within a distance of 50 metres from a point previously indicated by the candidate”

For the relative newcomers, it was a chance to gain an 'A' Certificate which would allow them to fly for pleasure (or potentially, business) after the war, but Commanders and Senior Commanders like Marcus Hale or Peter Mursell who clearly had not gained a Royal Aero Club Certificate before the war - mostly because they learnt to fly in the RAF or Fleet Air Arm - applied too.

Here is the list of those pilots:

 ... but if the women had hopes of flying commercially after the ATA, most of them were, as we have seen, destined to be disappointed.

W.163	3rd Officer	Susan Mary Aurea Alexander
	b. 19 or 20 Apr 1920, Horncastle Lincs	8 May 1944 to 30 Sep 1945

Father: Capt William James Alexander (a Company Director, Motor Trade, d. 1947), mother: Mary Jeanette [Rawnsley] (d. Jul 1941) of Raithby Hall, Spilsby:

  Raithby Hall, the home of the Rawnsley family

Ed. Benenden, Kent (School Certificate)

prev: WAAF

Address in 1944: c/o L S Dodds Ltd, Spilsby, Lincs

[Ab initio pilot]

Postings: 4FPP

One accident:

- 31 Jan 1945, in Swordfish II LS215; she failed to keep the aircraft straight on take-off, and it swung, hit a snow ridge and turned over

Gained her Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate (No 20753) as part of the ATA's 'Wings' scheme on 22 Nov 1945

d. 9 Jul 2000 - Taunton, Somerset

Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.166	3rd Officer	Joan Henrietta Arthur
	b. 5 Aug 1919, Ealing	8 May-44 to Sep-45

Father: George Arthur, a Civil Servant; mother Margaret, a nurse

prev. an insurance clerk

Address in 1945: 51 Hillfield Rd, W Hampstead, London NW6

 [Ab initio pilot]

Gained her Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate (No 20488) as part of the ATA's 'Wings' scheme on 3 Aug 1945

m. 1948 in Hampstead, Eric G Barton

 d. 5 Mar 1993 - Hatch End, Middx

W.146	3rd Officer	Rita Pauline Baines
	b. 13 Nov 1921, Stoke-on-Trent	28 Dec-43 to 30 Sep-45

Ed. Felixstowe College

prev: Rootes Securities Ltd, (a 'shadow' aircraft factory at Blythe Bridge, near Stoke-on-Trent); MAP from Nov 1942

Ab initio pilot cadet

Postings: 15FPP

Later 'Star Girl No. 2', air hostess for British South American Airlines: (see also Mary Guthrie , who was 'Star Girl No. 1)

m. 1946 Captain David Colby, an ex-Pathfinder Squadron Leader

 The Tatler

"SEQUEL TO AIR ROMANCE

There was a sequel to an air romance at Trentham Parish Church on Saturday when a former transocean passenger air-liner hostess was married to a pilot in the employ of the British and South American Airways. The bride was Miss Rita P. Baines, the 25-years-old daughter of Mr. C J. Baines, head of Messrs C. J. Baines and Co. Ltd . colour manufacturers, of Stoke, and of Mrs, Baines. The Woodlands. Trentham. and the bridegroom. Mr. David Colby, the 26-years-old son of Mrs Colby. Oulton Broads. Norfolk, a former R.A F. squadron-leader and the holder oi the D.F.C.

The couple met last January when Miss Baines travelled as air-hostess and made a call at the Gambia (British West Africa) station of the airways company. of which Mr. Colby was station manager." Staffordshire Advertiser - Saturday 30 November 1946

[David d. 30 January 1948 (age 27) in the crash of British and South American Airlines' Avro Tudor IV G-AHNP 'Star Tiger', lost on a flight between the Azores and Bermuda. 6 crew and 25 passengers died.]

m. 1949 Christopher Johnson, MD of Johnson Bros Ceramics

"The marriage took place at the Priory Church of St. Bartholomew the Great. West Smithfield. London, on Monday, of Mr. Christopher Johnson. younger son of Mr and Mrs Frank Johnson. Kniveden Hall. Leek, and Mrs Rita Colby, daughter of and Mrs. C. J Baines. Woodlands. Trentham. and widow of Squadron-Leader David Colby. D.F.C. After the reception at the Dorchester Hotel. Mr and Mrs. Johnson left for their honeymoon, which is being spent in Italy." Staffordshire Advertiser - Saturday 20 August 1949

d. 2007 - Newcastle Staffs

Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

M.585	First Officer	Victor Richard Baxter-Jones
	b. 7 Jun 1918, Wells, Somerset	15 Jul 1941 to 31 Dec 1945

1936

ICCL

1947

Educated at Jordan Hill College School, Glasgow

 Trudy's 1939 RAeC Cert photo

m. 1940 Gertrude 'Trudy' [Eklid], 1 daughter

RAFVR Mar-Nov 1937

prev.  Ground Engineer for Bristol Aeroplane Co

Address in 1941: 7 Market Hill, Calne, Wilts

d. 31 Jan 2014, Gainesville GA

"Mr. Baxter-Jones also became the senior concierge at Maxim's de Paris in Palm Springs, Calif. He was loved by all the hotel guests for his English appearance, accent and manners.

When World War II ended Mr. Baxter-Jones worked for the De Havilland Aircraft Company. This career took him from England to the United States in 1957. He lived in Rockford, Ill., Plymouth, Mich., San Antonio, Texas, and Palm Springs, Calif., until moving to Georgia in 1992. He loved the friendly people and beauty of the state of Georgia especially the birds, the wildlife and the climate.

He met the love of his life, Trudy at a flying club in England at the beginning of World War II. She had learned to fly and had made a solo flight before they married. He felt that it was too dangerous for a woman to fly during the war so she never flew again.

Mr. Baxter-Jones wished to be cremated and his ashes returned to his birthplace, in Wells, Somerset, England. A memorial service will be performed at a later date in his beloved Wells Cathedral. 
Mr. Baxter-Jones is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Sue and Steve McMillian, Gainesville; granddaughter and husband, Shea Jaworski, North Little Rock, Ark.; great-grandson and great-granddaughter, Vincent and Anna Jaworski; and his niece, Penelope Baxter-Jones, Hampshire, England. 

See http://www.legacy.com/obituaries

Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.138	3rd Officer	Edith 'Ditty' Beaumont
+  ->	b. 24 Aug 1917, Berne, Switzerland	20 Sep-43 to Sep-45

via Michael Mackenzie

RAeC 1945

Mother (Emily) and father both German.

After Edith was born in Switzerland, she and her mother Emily moved back to Bavaria, then Emily married, in 1920, RAF Flying Officer (Later Air Commodore) Frank Beaumont (prev. RFC, PoW in WWI, 1935-38 Air Attaché, Prague, 1942-45 Director of Allied Air Co-operation and Foreign Liaison, 1945- Air Attaché, Belgrade)

Ed. Heathfield School, Ascot

British Nationality 1936

 prev. private secretary to the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia

with June Cole in 1945 (with thanks to Michael Mackenzie)

Gave up flying in about 1947, after a leg problem.

m. 1948 Dr. Charles Petri (divorced)

m. 1953 James Young Mackenzie (2 sons)

d. 1 Dec 1991

Her son Michael kindly tells me that "Our mother told my brother that there was a fellow pilot in whom she was interested and on good terms with. One day, she went into the Mess and, while talking to somebody else, saw this man across the room and said, “Ah there is XXXX. I must go and say hello”, whereupon the person to whom she was talking said words to the effect of “But do you not know? He died in a crash.”

"Our mother was not given to drama, indeed quite the contrary." 

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

M.1049	3rd Officer	John Leslie Bennett
	b. 17 Oct 1914, Manchester	29 Jan 1944 to Sep-45

prev. Sales Mgr for BO Morris, Birmingham, then a Sergeant in the RAFVR Oct-39 to Apr-41

His grandson kindly tells me that "Your website has prompted a conversation with my Mum (his daughter) regarding my Grandfather's life in the war - She informs me that that she thinks he had wanted to be a pilot in the RAF but had not passed the necessary exams, so instead became a rear gunner/bomber in Lancasters.  

He spoke very little of his time in the RAF, but did regale a story of almost falling out of the gunning position in the Lancaster (through the floor), and of dropping bales of propaganda leaflets over Germany - they were supposed to cut the strings to let them flutter down, but instead just through them out in hope they would land on a German's head!  

There is then a period of time that is unaccounted for, but my mum wonders if he had had some sort of breakdown from some comments he made very late in his life about spending some time in hospital.  Then he spent 18 months in the ATA - my Mum remembers him talking about flying with the instruction manual on his knees as he flew all sorts of different planes!"

...and here are some of the photographs his grandson sent me:

Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.93	First Officer	Mrs Patricia Gladys Beverley
	b. 22 Aug 1910, Egham Surrey	29 Jul 1942 to 31 Oct 1945

 nee Seemann

Father: Norman Charles Seemann, mother Beatrice Maud [Grey, d. 1926]

m. 1931 in Barnet, Robert Lewis Beverley, (original surname Baker, based in S. Rhodesia in 1942)

Her brother, Norman Walter Keith Seeman, was killed age 25 in a car accident in 1934. Patricia was injured in the same accident and was "carried into court", which decided that former racing driver William Berkeley Scott was responsible for the accident due to "careless, reckless and dangerous driving."

 Address in 1942: Stone House Hotel, Hatfield

Joined ATA originally as an MT Driver

Postings: 1FPP, 5FPP

Class 3 Pilot

Reprimanded and fined 3 days salary in Feb 1943 for 'Neglect of Duty'

4 accidents, 2 her fault:

- 1 May 1943, a forced landing in a Hurricane after a hydraulic failure

- 20 Jul 1943, while taxying 'without sufficient care', her Spitfire Vb hit a stationary Beaufighter [Severely reprimanded]

- 29 Nov 1943, she landed her Proctor LZ651 crosswind on wet grass, disobeying airfield 'runways only' signals, skidded and hit an obstruction [Severely reprimanded and suspended without pay for three days]

- 13 Apr 1945, a wheels-up forced landing in Mustang IV KM217 after the selector lever jammed

d. 27 Feb 1948 in Miles M.65 Gemini 1a G-AJZI owned by St. Christopher Travel-Ways Ltd, which crashed at Ridge Park, Wallington shortly after take-off from Croydon airport.

She was acting as co-pilot to Wing-Cmdr William Herbert Whetton; he and the 2 passengers were injured in the crash.

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.155 *	3rd Officer	Mrs Rosemary Leslie [or Lesley] Bonnett
	b. 1 Sep 1918, Bristol	21 Feb-44 to Sep-45

 née Bell

 father: Percy Harrison Bell (2nd Lt in WWI, who gained an RAeC Certificate No 5298, in October 1917) , mother Adele Helene [Gellatly, a midwife, d. 1967 in S. Africa]

Grew up in South Africa (1924 - Jan 1936)

prev. a Secretary, typist

m. early 1942 Flt-Lt Dorian Dick Bonnett DFC

  (39 Sqn RAF, d. 24 Oct 1942 in Lancaster I W4306, which crashed in England on return from a daylight raid on Milan)

 [ab initio trainee]

Postings: 15FPP, 7FPP

2 accidents, both her fault:

- 14 Oct 1944, when taxying on wet grass and in windy conditions, her Argus I EV792 collided with marker flags

- 9 Aug 1945, taxying in Andon I AX319, she struck a motor sweeper and the aircraft was damaged.

 Gained her Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate (No 20610) as part of the ATA's 'Wings' scheme on 3 Oct 1945

m. Oct 1946 in Surrey, Flight Captain Phillip Lambert Gibbs

  (also an ex-ATA pilot)

m. 1949 in Kensington, London, Richard C Towers

 Address in 1989: Garden Farm, Tufton, Haverfordwest

d. 25 Jan 1989

M.975	3rd Officer	Gerard Burnett
	b. 3 Oct 1920, Racine, WI	31 May 1943 to 31 Oct 45

 [ab initio]

prev. an ATA Ground Engineer from 1942; an ab initio pupil who "took to flying easily, particularly in Class 1 and 2."

Postings: 1FPP, 5FPP, 8FPP, 4FPP

Certificate of Commendation "for displaying exceptional airmanship. On 15 Nov 44 he landed his aircraft in a small field after hydraulic failure had filled the cockpit and sprayed him with a large quantity of hydraulic fluid possessing powerful anaesthetic properties."

"A keen pilot who has settled down to doing a very good job."

2 accidents, one his fault.

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.154	3rd Officer	Suzanne Palmer Chapman
	b. 8 Dec 1918, Swansea	21 Feb 1944 to 30 Sep 1945

mother: [Mills]

Postings: 15FPP

  ATAM

(r) with Flt-Capt Coltman

One accident, not her fault:

- 1 Oct 1944, she ground-looped in Argus I EV809, due to a faulty port wheel casting

Gained her Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate (No 20592) as part of the ATA's 'Wings' scheme on 29 Sep 1945

Address in 1945: Fernbank, Murton, Bishopstown, Swansea, S Wales

In 1949, she was a staff pilot at Hereford airfield.

m. 1951 in Hereford, John H Ashton

In 1956, Veronica Volkersz wrote that Suzanne was one of only 7 women flying commercially: -  "Suzanne Ashton flies an Auster 'talking aeroplane' on advertising work"  - and concluded that "The tragedy is that for women, commercial aviation is now - except, possibly, in Russia - a closed field."

[The others were Jackie Moggridge, Monique Rendall, Jean Bird, Zita Irwin, Diana Barnato-Walker and Freydis Leaf]

m. 1961 in Swansea, Richard John Hart

d. 5 Feb 2011 - Swansea

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

 Ed. St Paul's, London

RAF Short Service Commission, terminated 1933 due to ill health

Company Commander in the Home Guard May-40 to Jan-41

prev. Aircraft Inspector for Fairey Aviation, Hayes.

"A sound and smart officer who is a great asset to the ATA"

He was awarded a Certificate of Commendation for his part in the rescue of the crew of a returning operational Halifax III of No. 420 Squadron, piloted by Flight Lieutenant R. A. Kalle which, having been damaged during a sortie over Normandy, overshot the runway and caught fire at White Waltham on the 30th July 1944.

The full list of those commended was:

- pilots David Cotter (M.439), Reginald Davidson (M.918), Marvin Dunlavy (M.408), Alan Murray (M.1053);

- Fire Officer D Baldwin, 

- Senior Flight Engineer Kenneth Payne, Engineer Second Officer Albert Gardner, Engineer Third Officer John Gulson, Engineer Second Officer Francis Lees, Engineer Third Officer Donald Soutter,  and

- Mr J.J. Thompson.

He was also awarded an MBE. The citation reads "An aircraft crashed on landing and burst into flames. Despite the fire and the bombs on board, which subsequently exploded, the crew, five of whom were seriously injured in the crash, were extricated... First Officer Cotter gave invaluable help in getting the Rear-Gunner out of his turret, which had become jammed. The man was unconscious, lying partly in the turret and partly in the rear of the fuselage. While others worked on the turret from the outside, Cotter, finding the turret could not be swung back, entered the fuselage, after forcing the normal entrance. The starboard wing was blazing fiercely and the heat was so intense that the starboard elevator burst into flames. It was then found necessary to remove the gunner’s flying equipment before those outside could extricate him safely... Cotter showed great courage without thought for his own safety."

d. 2003, Surrey

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.168	3rd Officer	Mrs Aimee (or Aime) de Neve
	b. 19 Aug 1919 Gampola, Ceylon	8 May 1944 to 30 Sep 1945

nee Aime Gholdstein Jonklaas

Father: Ernest Gholdstein Jonklaas, a proctor of Gampola, Mother: Amelia Beatrice Cecile 'May' [Daniel], from Sutton, Surrey

Two brothers, Ernest and Cecil; one sister, Evelyn Ninette

[Ernest attended Brasenose College, Oxford, played tennis at Wimbledon and represented Oxford University in a tournament in Newport, USA in 1925. He m. Alice Cox, from Woodmere, Long Island, USA in 1926]

Ed. convent in South India

She and her mother visited the UK in 1925, and Aimee moved to the UK c.1935

Address in 1939: Hendon, London NW, described as a 'Commercial and Secretarial Student'

prev: WAAF

m. Oct 1940 in Marylebone, Rev. Tom Ryder, from New Chapel, Horwich, Lancs

m. 25 Sep 1943 in London, F/O Gilles Peter Cornelia de Neve  322 (Dutch) Sqn, RAFVR (d. 16 Jan 1944 in Spitfire Vb AD428 in a training accident nr Hawkinge, Kent)

Ab initio pilot:

In 'WAAF with Wings', by Yvonne Eveleigh, Aimee described moving on to the Harvard as "Very exciting! The Harvard felt so powerful after all the light aircraft and Marks (her instructor) liked to give me quite frightening shocks to make sure I was awake!"... "My first Spitfire flight was unbelievable! This beautiful aircraft was actually all mine for a brief time. I was rather worried when I had to do several circuits, as a RAF aircraft had done a belly landing, and I had all the red flares, etc. thrown at me".

Postings: 15FPP, 6FPP

Gained her Royal Aero Club Certificate No 20545 on 11 Sep 1945, as part of the 'ATA Wings' Scheme.

Address in 1945: 56 S. Molton St, London W1

m. Oct 1945 iin London, Jan Mowinckel Helen, a Norwegian naval officer from Bergen (three children, Teeny, Erik and Jan Ernest, b. 1946, 1949 and 1953)

m. 1996 in London, Mark G  Williams, whom she met in Sri Lanka

Lived in Brighton, Sussex

d. Jul 2000 - Spain

Her ashes were interred in 'an English village' on 20 Jul 2000

"Man, woman or child, Aimee made time for them, and if she met a person for the first time her enthusiasm for life left a stranger breathless. Intelligence, bounding energy, beauty and charm were Aime."

see http://www.sundaytimes.lk/000820/plus5.html

W.81	First Officer	Maureen Adele/Adel/Adela Chase Dunlop
-	b. 26 Oct 1920, Quimes, Buenos Aires	15 Apr 1942 to 30 Nov 1945

RAeC 1945

Yes, that picture, 1944

ATAM

Father: Eric Chase Dunlop, an Estate Manager; Mother Jessimin May [Williams]

Ed. 'privately'

Postings: 6FPP, 15FPP

Class 3 pilot

2 accidents, neither her fault:

- 21 May 1943, the starboard wing of her Seafire brushed the ground during take-off, due to rough ground and failure of the throttle friction device

- 10 Jan 1944, the starboard gun inspection panel of her Hurricane partially detached in flight.

m. 1955 "retired Romanian diplomat" Serban (Şerban) Victor de Popp

Moved to Diss, Norfolk, UK, breeding Arab horses

d 29 May 2012 - Norfolk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maureen_Dunlop_de_Popp

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.131 *	2nd Officer	Mrs Sylvia Isabel Edwards
	b. 6 May 1919, London	9 Aug-43 to Sep-45

née Namias

Father: Lea Namias, a textile merchant, mother Hilda

m. 1939 in London, Flt-Lt David Harold Edwards(from Vancouver BC, of 144 Sqn, Bomber Command, RAF. d. 21 Jul 1940 when his Hampden was hit by flak and ditched in the North Sea during a minelaying operation against the Tirpitz and Von Scheer)

Address in 1939: 27 Woodfield Ave, Streatham

 prev. an ambulance driver for the LCC

ab initio trainee

Address in Oct 1945: 1 Hugo House, Sloane St., London SW1

exp: 185.15 hrs as ferry pilot

 Gained her RAeC 'A' Certificate No 20611 as part of the ATA 'Wings' scheme on 3 Oct 1945

m. 1945 in Westminster, Flt-Lt Richard Anson Freshwater, who had been a PoW in Stalag Luft III / Milag-Marlag Nord-Oflag L from 28 Aug 1942 after his Beaufighter was shot down

They moved to 9 Pasture Lane, Hathern, Loughborough, Leics, where Sylvia was the Unit Commander for the Junior Air Corps formed in 1955:

"Air-minded girls rolled up at the YWCA, Loughborough, last night to enrol in the newly-formed Junior Air Corps. The first recruit, Miss Ivy Whelden, signs on the dotted line for unit commander Mrs Sylvia Freshwater"

but they later emigrated to New Zealand, living at 51 Toroa St, Aukland.

W.156	3rd Officer	Mrs Yvonne Margaret 'Peggy' Eveleigh
	b. 18 Aug 1917, London	21 Feb-44 to Sep-45

ATA

RAeC 1945

née Lucas

Father: Lieut. Albert James Lucas, R.F.C., (killed whilst flying in France in May 1917), mother Violet Cordelia [Chauncy] (m. 1932 Douglas G Shrubshall)

m.1939 in Surrey, Derek Ernest Eveleigh, who d. 22 Apr 1940 in the crash of BOAC's Lockheed 14 G-AFKD at Binn Uird, near Loch Lomond, Dunbarton, en route from Perth to Heston

 Postings: 5TFP, 2FPP

exp. in ATA: 178.35 hrs

 3 accidents, one her fault:

- 14 Feb 1945, the starboard tyre of her Spitfire IX MA639 burst while taxying, and the aircraft swung off the perimeter track and nosed over

- 20 Aug 1945, a forced landing in Oxford II T1258 after engine vibration caused by a bent propeller tip

- 3 Sep 1945, she failed to control the landing swing of Spitfire III SP196, damaging the starboard wing tip

Gained her RAeC 'A' Certificate No 20527 as part of the ATA 'Wings' scheme on 31 Aug 1945

 Address in 1945: King's Arms, Tedburn St Mary, nr Exeter, Devon

m. Oct 1946 in Aylesbury, Roger G Grace

m. Oct 1952 in Westminster, Maj. Charles E Kaiser

m. Edouard Stamfer

All three post-war marriages ended in divorce.

Wrote 'WAAF with Wings' in 1992:

"A very good book published in 1992 by Y M Lucas (Peggy) called ’WAAF with Wings’ tells the story of the ATA with contributions from the girls themselves. In it Peggy describes delivering a repaired Martinet to St Eval for target towing and collecting a damaged Spitfire from there to deliver to a Maintenance Unit.

Peggy Lucas continued flying and at age 84 qualified as a helicopter pilot!

 1993

Frankie Horsburgh, a Canadian, located 16 out of the 17 [ex-WAAF ATA pilots] for their first reunion."

- http://www.olivehouserock.co.uk/link/144/index_files/Page549.htm

d. 8 Jan 2008 - buried St Nicholas Church in Remenham, Berkshire.

She reverted to 'Eveleigh' as her surname:

see http://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/war/stfrideswide/lucas.html

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.159	3rd Officer	Miss Marjorie 'June' Farquhar
	b. 28 Jul 1921, London	21 Feb-44 to Sep-45

RAeC 1945

(r) with Edith Beaumont

Rather: Capt. Arthur Farquhar, of Town Farm, Aldbury, nr Tring, Herts

Ed. "Private and Finishing Schools", Francis Holland (London) and Chateau Mont Choisi, Lausanne

  With the Hertfordshire Hunt in 1940

prev: VAD,; from Oct 1941 WAAF

(c) with Edith Beaumont and Lettice Curtis

One accident: 

- 26 Aug 1944, she was commended for a forced landing in Magister L8054 after engine failure

Gained her RAeC 'A' Certificate No 20491 as part of the ATA 'Wings' scheme on 3 Aug 1945

 Address in 1945: 49 Milverton Rd, London NW1

 Mrs Cole from 1946, as reported by the Bucks Herald on 14 June;

"MARRIAGE OF MAJOR C. B. COLE AND MISS M. J. FARQUHAR

The wedding took place between Major Charles Brian Cole and Miss Marjorie June Farquhar at the Church of St. John the Baptist, Aldbury, on Friday.

The bride, younger daughter of Captain and Mrs Farquhar, of Town Farm, Aldbury, was given away by her father. The reception was held at “Hawkwell”, a Tring residence owned by the bride’s parents, and which is at present largely occupied by farm workers of the H.W.A.C. About 275 guests were present, and refreshments were served under a marquee, set up on the lawns of the house, the sunshine on the day making possible the use of the lovely garden. After the cake was cut, the health of the bride and groom was proposed by Mr. E. J. Gilbert, an old friend of the family. The best man, Capt. Michael Charlesworth, R.A., answered the bridegroom’s toast on behalf of the bridesmaids.

Major and Mrs. Brian Cole later left by car for Marlow, where they spent the week end at the hotel where they first privately celebrated their engagement, five-and-a-half years ago.

On returning from their honeymoon, they will live in London, at least until the bridegroom leaves the War Office, where he is at present employed.

During the war the bride was in the W.A.A.F., doing radar work, but, later, became one of the twelve out of five thousand successful volunteer applicants for A.T.A. [I wonder where they got that from?]

As a ferry pilot she flew all types of fighter and torpedo planes all over the British Isles. Her father and mother, both Canadians, liked and stayed in England after the Great War, in which Capt. Farquhar served in the R.F.C. They first came to Ivinghoe 18 years ago for weekend riding, and it was then that Capt. Farquhar became known as the 'fairy godfather' for the pennies he distributed to the children who presented themselves with clean faces. He came to live in Aldbury about 10 years ago.

The bridegroom, third son of the late Mr. Charles Phillips Cole and Mrs. Cole, of Tring, was studying architecture with his father at the Berkhamsted office of Messrs, W. Brown and Co. when war broke out. He was then embodied with the Hertfordshire Regiment, and in 1941 he went to India, where, after attending Staff College, he served on the staff of an Indian Beach Group. He was mentioned in despatches, and at the cessation of hostilities with Japan was a Lt.-Col. on the Q. Staff of the 14th Army.

It will be remembered that in April, 1945, the elder sister of the bride was married at Tring to the oldest brother of the bridegroom, Mr. Richard Cole."

At an ATA Reunion c.2011

d. 13 Sep 2017

Her son kindly tells me that  "Whilst serving in the WAAF she was engaged then on secret work with radar, directing allied aircraft to targets deep in Germany. She always chuckled about leaving the WAAF to join the ATA. Apparently the only reason to be allowed to opt out was due to pregnancy, but my mother managed to wangle it (without pregnancy!) to join the ATA. I think her father's contacts helped pull strings, as he had been a Royal Naval Air Service Captain in the Great War.

 I have been looking at her Pilot Log Book, and give a summary of her flying service below. For the record it was signed off by EP Lane, Flt?Captain and Adjutant of No 1 Ferry Pool ATA.

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

M.664	First Officer	Ian Archibald Forbes
+	b. 29 Nov 1919, Oxted, Surrey	30 Sep 1941 to 30 Nov 1945

1937

ATA

Father: James Grant Forbes II (d. 1955) Mother: Margaret [Winthrop] (both American)

Margaret was a descendant of John Winthrop, one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s,

His mother inherited €100,000 from her aunt Ida Means Mason, who died in 1928 in Boston, Mass., and then €75,000 "and personal effects" from another aunt, Ida's sister Miss Ellen F Mason, who died in 1929 in Newport, RI. The remainder of Ellen's €5,000,000 went into a charitable trust, the money to be distributed within 21 years of the death of the last of Margaret's children. His father James Grant Forbes was named Trustee of a fund of €300,000 (€150,000 each from Ida and Ellen) for his children's education "and comfortable support".

Ed. Eton, Trinity College Cambridge

5ft 11in, brown hair

Address in 1937: Little Plumyard, Seven Hills Rd, Cobham, Surrey

prev. in 1939 a Student of Music (changed his mind) Economics in Kensington

He traveled to the USA in June 1939 on the 'Queen Mary' and was listed as an American "by virtue of his father's citizenship."

Address in 1941: (Mother's address) 43 Swan Court, Manor St, Chelsea, London

 m. Oct 1941 Phoebe V Thomas in Marylebone, Middlesex

 Off sick from 21 Feb to 21 Mar 1943 

1 accident, not his fault:

- 4 Aug 1944, during the take-off run in a Hudson at White Waltham, the port tyre burst. He "completed the take-off, noticed that the tyre was apparently loose and wobbling, and therefore decided to execute a belly landing."

Address in 1947: Friary Lodge, Old Windsor, Berks

 His mother Margaret died in 1970 aged 91, at her home in St Briac, France, leaving 11 children (including his sister Rosemary, the mother of John Forbes Kerry (68th US Secretary of State and Democratic Nominee for President, 2004) and Mme Alain Lalonde), 30 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

John F Kerry visited the Forbes' family estate at Les Essarts, near St-Briac-sur-Mer, on several occasions:

"In his youth, Kerry joined the family gatherings while his father, a U.S. diplomat, was posted in Europe. Young Kerry also attended a Swiss boarding school and brought a touch of America to this corner of northwestern France.

"He introduced us to games like capture the flag. We still play something called kick the can," said [John's cousin] Brice Lalonde, who at 58 is two years Kerry's junior.

Walking along a beach where Kerry and his cousins once played, Lalonde talked about their summers of swimming, cycling and tennis.

"We would take boats and go to islands and have a picnic. We'd go shrimping and have them cooked up in the kitchen," he said.

It was in Saint Briac, or nearby, that Kerry's parents met, when his father, Richard Kerry, was traveling in Europe before World War II.

During the war, the Nazis occupied Les Essarts and then destroyed it when they left. A family reunion was held last summer [2003] to mark the 50th anniversary of the home's reconstruction, but Kerry didn't attend.

Kerry told The New Yorker magazine that seeing the aftermath of the war in Europe kindled his interest in politics.

"My very first memory — I was 3 years old — is holding my mother's hand and she was crying... as we walked through the broken glass and rubble of her childhood house in France, which the Germans had used as a headquarters and then bombed and burned as they left," Kerry was quoted as saying." - Fox News, 29 Mar 2004

Ian Forbes lived at the rebuilt Les Essarts in 2004.

 d. 2015

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

RAeC 1945

Ed. at Berkhampstead School

RAF [originally an appentice at Cranwell, eventually Sqn Ldr] 1927-1940; winner of the Sir Charles Wakefield Scholarship in 1930; Indian General Service Medal

Married 1935 Helen [Cragg], 2 children

Address in 1940: The Cottage, Wicks Lane, Shurlock, nr Reading

Postings: 1FPP, 6FPP, AFTS

 Officer Commanding, ATA's Advanced Flying Training School (AFTS) from Aug-42

"The AFTS has given excellent results for which the credit goes to Cmdr Gale. As an individual, if he were to unbend occasionally, he might get even better results from his staff and pupils." G d'Erlanger

d. Dec 1956 - Colchester, Essex 

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.149	3rd Officer	Joyce 'Joy' Gough
	b. 14 Feb 1923, Cirencester, Glos	28 Dec 1943 to 30 Sep 1945

[see also Yvonne Wheatley, her elder sister, also an ATA pilot]

Father: Arthur Victor Gough, a professional footballer turned hairdresser, mother Doris Irene Alexandra (Herbert]

Ed. Stratton School, Cirencester Grammar School

prev: Cashier, Lloyds Bank, Cirencester

Address in 1943: Galba Villas, Prospect Place, Cirencester

Postings: 5TFPP, 15FPP, 12FPP, 7FPP

Ab initio Trainee

 One accident: 

- 3 Feb 1945, forced landing after she discovered that the hood of her Spitfire Vb EP661 had "been blown away", reason unknown

 Class III pilot

 Gained her Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate (No 20586) as part of the ATA's 'Wings' scheme on 29 Sep 1945

m. 1945 in London, F/O Jiri HartmanDFC, formerly Cmdr, 'A' Flight, 310 (Czech) Sqn, RAF

Joy and Jiri moved to Prague, but had to flee back to the UK in 1948 after the coup d'etat.

m.  Jun 1971 in Warwickshire, Charles James Lofthouse, who had been an RAF Lancaster pilot and PoW in WWII (d. 2002)

She became a Special Needs Teacher

Joy (2nd from right) at the unveiling of the ATA Memorial in Hamble-le-Rice, 2010

d. 15 Nov  2017

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

interviewed here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80009633

1945

prev. LAC in RAF 1923 - 1929, including 2 years in Iraq

m. 1933 Cecilia Edith Mary [Gyatt]

In 1936, an aero engineer for Lockheed

Mary du Bunsen refers to him in Mount up with Wings: "Our instructor, a man called Gribble, was great fun and taught well but he had a sharp tongue. Luckily it was a man he picked on as a target for his witticisms, a little man with an enormous handlebar moustache, [presumably Victor Baxter-Jones, who joined two weeks before Mary] who apologised to the class, quite unnecessarily, for having let Gribble get him in such a lather that he didn't know what ten per cent of a hundred was."...

"But the women did not escape unscathed, though we had our little triumphs. one day he handed the class an awkward calculation about fuel consumption, saying 'This is where the women usually break down', and I produced a slide-rule, which I had been storing up for some such moment, and got it right first go."

Address in 1945: 24 Boyn Hill, Maidenhead

W.142	3rd Officer	Sylvia 'Mary' Guthrie
	b. 9 Jun 1921, Thornton Heath Surrey	18 Oct 1943 to 30 Sep 1945

ATA

ATAM

Father d. 1925 having been gassed in WWI

Stepfather Mr Grapel, d. 1944

One sister; brother James died in WWII

Ed. Montrose College, Cliftonville; RADA

prev: Blind School Hospital, Leatherhead; Mobile VAD (voluntary Aid Detachment) nurse, attached to various RAF Hospitals, from Feb 1941 to Jul 1943 (where she worked with Monique Agazarian, and played tennis with Dan Maskell)

Applied after seeing an advertisement, interviewed at White Waltham.

 ab initio pilot cadet [because "I thought it would be glamorous"]

 Postings: 5FPP, 15FPP

3rd Officer from 11 Aug 1944 - Class 3 pilot

 One accident, not her fault:

- 31 May 1945, the hood blew off her Spitfire XVI TD134 and damaged the fin and rudder

 Gained her RAeC 'A' Certificate No 20588 as part of the ATA 'Wings' scheme on 29 Sep 1945, and later a Commercial 'B' Licence:

  RAeC 1945

Address in 1945:17 Basil Mansions, Basil St, London SW3

From January 1946, 'Star Girl No. 1', Britain's first post-war air hostess, for British South American Airlines: (see also Rita Baines, who was 'Star Girl No. 2).

Her first BSAA flight was in a Lancastrian from the newly-opened 'Heath Row Airport' with ex-Pathfinder chief Don Bennett, the MD of BSAA, on board.

 Flew Spitfires and Hurricanes for Skyways to the Portuguese Air Force, until she crashed a Spitfire

m. Jan 1952 in Kensington, Cyril John Cunningham

daughter Deborah b. 1955?

Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

IWM interview (1987) here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80009976

RAeC 1945

via Marcus J Hale

 prev exp 'over 500 hrs' on D.H.9a - he joined the RFC as a cadet in Nov 1917. However, his time in the RAF was short; he moved to 137 Squadron in June 1918, and graduated with good marks in October 1918, but he was moved to the unemployed list in May 1919.

 After a year out, he was given a short service commission in July 1920, but this did not go well:

- He was reprimanded for 'failing to take proper precautions...of secret despatches' in October 1920;

- He went 'absent without leave' from the 5th to the 11th December 1920. (Actually, on the 20th he married Gertrude Maude Mickle at Lambeth Registry Office), and was again reprimanded;

- Finally, he was court-martialled for 'disobeying a lawful command given by a senior officer' and was dismissed His Majesty's service in May 1921.

He then married Dorothy Mary () and they lived in Sevenoaks, Kent. He worked in the leisure industry, then when WWII came along, in the Hurricane Repairs Section of Gloster Aircraft Co.

Joan and Mark 1942

He met Joan Durham Witherby (q.v.) when she joined the ATA in 1942, and they had a son together in November 1945, who remembers his mother telling him that "she was still flying missions with the ATA whilst pregnant".

During his time in the ATA, he flew 35 different types of aircraft. He was initially assessed as an "above average pilot who, although somewhat out of flying practice proved himself a safe and steady pilot, possessing good judgement."

In Feb 1943 he was appointed as Officer Commanding, No 5 FPP, then O.C. the Training Pool from Aug-43, and finally O.C. No 1 FPP from Nov-44. He performed his duties in "an eminently satisfactory manner" and also managed to do a fair number of ferry flights himself, including a few on Halifaxes.

Mark in 1945

In 1946 he was one of the 13 members of the ATA to receive the OBE for his services during WWII. 

Apparently, he referred to his OBE, as for Other Bugger’s Efforts.

d. Sep 1981, Chichester

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

M.430 *	Flight Captain	Maurice Amédée Harlé
	b. 26 Dec 1899, La Fere, Aisne, France	22 Apr 1941 to 24 Jul 1945

HB

1945

Certificate of Commendation, 1943: "On the 28th December 1943, immediately after take-off, First Officer M. Harlé's port engine partially failed. He retracted the undercarriage and managed to gain a safe height, circuited the airfield, lowered the undercariage, feathered the propeller and executed a single engine landing without damage."

RAeC 1945

Father: Gordon Victor Hayman

Educated at Cranleigh School

prev. Lieut. in RNVR Feb-39 to Feb-41

Next of Kin: (mother) Winifred Agnes Hayman, Caryll House, Okehurst, Cranleigh

m. 1943  Beatrice Glanley 'Betty' Grant also of the ATA, although they appear to have separated sometime before 1947.

Postings: 6FPP, AFTS (as Instructor), 1FPP, 7FPP

Demoted to First Officer in Mar 1943 for flying a Halifax without authority; he ferried it "without full uniform, money, travel vouchers, identity card or correct kit" and then had to stay overnight at an RAF station.

"A most willing, conscientious and sound pilot who has flown a great numbers of hours for this Unit."

 Posted to Air Movements Flight in Mar 1944 - "it is felt that, due to his overkeeness, he would be more suited to the Air Movements Flight... as it would leave him more to his own initiative." "His manner is courteous and pleasant."

Post-WWII, Norman entered the 1947 Manx Air Races and Rally, flying G-AHIZ, a Beechcraft Traveller belongning to Sidney Rubin of Hindhead.

He also took a round-trip by ship to Madeira in January 1949, giving his occupation as a 'Company Director' and his address the Royal Aero Club, Pall Mall.

[In September 1949, his wife Betty and her mother sailed to South Africa, apparently intending to settle there, but they returned in July 1950.]

d. 3 Jul 1951 - Cranleigh

Probate £8,624 18s 2d for "Norman Lambert otherwise George Norman Hayman"

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

M.313	First Officer	Leon Hubert Jaugsch
	b. 30 Dec 1914, Torun, Poland	17 Apr 1943 to 31 Oct 1945

Father: Artur Jaugsch (dec'd), mother: Stanisława [Dolatowska]

Ed. High School, Torun, Poland

prev Polish Air Force (2nd-Lieut) from 1 Sep 1936. Fled Poland 18 Sep 1939. Interned in Rumania from 18 Sep to 7 Oct 1939, then resident in the UK from 12 July 1940.

RAF (306 Sqn) from 12 Jul 1940 to 27 Mar 1943, based at Northolt.

An article written in 1977 by P/O William R 'Bill' Dunn of 71 (Eagle) Squadron RAF describes an encounter with Leon: "On 6 Jul 1941, I saw a Hurricane from No 306 (Polish) Squadron beating up an Me109E that refused to go down. I gave the Polish pilot a hand with a couple of good bursts from about fifty yards and, with heavy black smoke pouring from it, the Me 109 rolled over, headed for the deck, and went in just west of Mardyck [nr Dunkirk, France]. The Polish pilot, P'O Leon Jaugsch, and I shared this victory. Jaugsch now lives in Los Alamitos, Calif., and we correspond regularly." - via Andrzej Schmidt

prev exp 550 hrs in Poland, France and England.

Postings: 5TFFP, 16FPP, 8FPP, 3FPP

Two accidents, both his fault:

- 14 Jun 1944, in Spitfire IX MK913, he mistook a 'dummy' road for the start of the runway, and damaged a wing whilst landing.

- 30 Mar 1945, he bailed out of a perfectly good Mosquito - a Mk VI, RF847 - when he thought his starboard engine was on fire. Subsequent technical examinations of the wreckage found nothing wrong, so they thought he must have mistaken either static electricity or exhaust flames for an engine fire.

   1945

 He was demoted to Third Officer in March 1945 for 6 months, when he "deliberately flew above cloud on a ferry flight from Edzell to White Waltham. As a result the pilot became lost and found himself over unknown country... which proved to be France."

"He has shown exceptional keenness and willingness throughout his training"... "A good officer but is inclined to be a little excitable. Discipline - excellent"

m. 6 Dec 1944 in Carlisle, Florence E I [Mundy] Daniels

Moved to the USA after WWII. Naturalised 1963:

d. 8 April 1984 - Orange Co., CA, USA

Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.133	3rd Officer	Zoe Elise Jenner
	b. 10 Jul 1922, Ealing	6 Sep 1943 to 30 Sep 1945

Father: Ronald Vivian Jenner (1894-1970), Mother: Winifred May Louisa Powe (1893-1963)

Ed. St Michael's, Bognor Regis

Address in 1939: Davenport Rd, Bognor Regis

prev: MTC Company Cadet Officer from 28 Oct 1939

"An interesting cricket match was held this club last Saturday, Women v. Men, and attracted a good audience. The men were handicapped by batting left handed and catching with only one hand.

I found it difficult at a distance to distinguish some of these lissome ladies from the men, as both wore white trousers and shirts and had short hair. I don't know much about cricket, but I did learn that in bowling the women at the start gave the men some advantage with " wides," but MISS PALMER and MISS ZOE JENNER soon put a stop to that. I am afraid the men won easily in spite of their handicap but it was an amusing afternoon which was all that mattered. " - Bognor Regis Observer - Saturday 24 August 1940

 Address in 1943: Paddy's Land, Beach Estate, Felpham, Sussex

ab initio trainee

Postings: 15FPP

 1 accident:

- 11 Jul 1945, when taxying her Defiant I DR966, it weathercocked, the starboard wheel "fell into a trench" and the aircraft nosed over. Partial brake failure was suspected.

engaged to a Mr. Thompson in 1944, but does not seem to have married him.

Gained her Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate (No 20646) as part of the ATA's 'Wings' scheme on 12 Oct 1945

d. 15 Aug 2013 (age 91) - Bosham, Chichester, West Sussex 

Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

M.250	First Officer	Stephan Karpeles-Schenker
	b. 18 Jan 1901, Vienna Austria	15 Feb 1941 to Nov-45

1938

BG

 Vice President, International Federation of Forwarding Organisations in 1929

Arrived in the UK from France in Jun 1938, and immediately sold his D.H. Hornet Moth OE-DKS in London

Director of Rosenberg Loewe & Co, shipping and forwarding agents, Aug-38 to May-40

He was interned on the Isle of Man under the 'Defence of the Realm Act' from 15 Jul 1940 to 12 Dec 1940. His release was facilitated by Leslie Runciman, Margie Fairweather's brother and MD of BOAC at the time.

Address in 1941: 64 Queensborough Terrace, London W2

"A loyal and likeable officer. Efficient, hardworking and reliable."

with Martyn Steynor in a 'taxi' Anson (ELC)

m. Margit V Rupp in 1949 in London (d. 1978)

d. 30 Dec 1990 - London SW1

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

Listen to an interview with Stephan here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80009816

W.160 *	3rd Officer	Barbara Lilian Lankshear
	b. 13 Oct 1917, Rusholme, Lancs	21 Feb 1944 to 30 Sep 1945

Father: Frederick Russell Lankshear, a Chemical Manufacturer; Mother: Lilian [Rhind]

Address in 1939: Claremont Rd, Bristol

prev. Secondary School Teacher

Ab initio pilot

Gained her Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate (No 20583) as part of the ATA's 'Wings' scheme on 26 Sep 1945

"3420 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 22 JULY, 1947
WOMEN'S AUXILIARY AIR FORCE - METEOROLOGICAL BRANCH
Commission resigned - Section Officer B L LANKSHEAR (4208) retaining her rank 7th July 1947"

Her son Michael wrote: "She worked on computers after the war and spent a life working on Main Frame sytems before computers became universal."

W.164	3rd Officer	Annette Elizabeth Mahon
	b. 21 Oct 1918, Dublin	8 May-44 to Sep-45

 ‘Annette was posted to Prestwick as a Class II pilot to ferry mostly Fleet Air Arm aircraft to the Isles and the north of Scotland. She became known as “Queen of the Barracudas” – and a one woman PR campaign for the capabilities of this high-wing torpedo/dive bomber monoplane.’ RAF Museum

m. 18 Jan 1947, Dr Samuel 'Maurice' B Hill

 1993

Annette (3rd from left) at the unveiling of the ATA Memorial in Hamble-le-Rice, 2010

d. 7 Oct 2013 - Basingstoke

M.1136 *	3rd Officer	William Mockler
	b. 7 Feb 1923, Dublin	11 Jul 1944 to 15 Apr 1945

 Address in 1945: 47 Upper Rathmines, Dublin

He carried on as a ferry pilot after WWII; in July 1951 the 'Belfast Whig' reported:

"Sydenham plane crash: Belfast pilot injured

A naval aircraft, a Sturgeon target towing plane, manufactured by Short and Harland, Ltd., overshot the runway when It was coming In to land at Sydenham airport yesterday and crashed Into the sea. William Mockler (27). a ferry pilot. Holland Gardens, Belfast was the only person on board. He was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, where he was detained. He is stated to be seriously ill, suffering from head injurles. The plane, which was not seriously damaged, was a new one for delivery to the Naval authorities at Malta."

 ... and later a pilot for BEA. In 1968: "An airliner carrying 139 passengers made an emergency landing yesterday after an anonymous phone caller claimed that a bomb had been planted on board. Police received the call ten minutes after the plane, a BEA Vanguard, had taken off from Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh, for London. The news was immediately radioed to the captain, 45-year-old William Mockler, and he returned to Turnhouse.

Police, ambulancemen and the fire brigade stood by as passengers escaped by the plane's emergency chute. Army bomb disposal men, police and air line officials then began searching the plane and baggage. No bomb was found." Daily Mirror

W.140 *	3rd Officer	Audrey Joan Morgan
	b. 17 Oct 1920, Wolverhampton	6 Sep-43 to Sep-45

Father: George B Morgan, a solicitor and Company Director; Mother: Constance A [Garrett]

prev: Shop Assistant, Secretary, draughtswoman

 Address in 1939: Arleigh Grove, Cuckfield, Sussex

Postings: 12FPP

3 accidents, 1 her fault:

- 21 Nov 1944, a forced landing in Barracuda III MD970 after a serious oil leak into the cockpit

- 18 Dec 1944, she over-ran the end of the runway at Cosford in Spitfire VIII NH630, due to landing too far along it

- 5 Jan 1945, her Spitfire Vb W3834 nosed over after she taxied it off the hard standing. An airman, who she thought had told her to taxy off the concrete, was held to blame.

 She gained her Royal Aero Club Certificate No 20546 on 9 July 1945, as part of the 'ATA Wings' programme (although the record has been lost)

Co-pilot to ex-ATA Ferry pilot Geoffrey Wikner (q.v.) on his flight to Australia in 1946 in "Waltzing Matilda", a war-surplus Halifax, with 20 passengers and crew on board:

L to R: Val Wikner (9), Audrey, Capt. Wikner, Chrisabel Wikner (5 1/2) and Mrs Trudy Wikner.

She flew back on TWA from Cairo to New York in September 1946

m. 1952 in Westminster, (Richard?) John Fifield

d. 11 Dec 2005 - High Wycombe, Bucks

1942

RAeC 1945

Ed. Bedales School (Head Boy) and Downing College Cambridge (1st in Agriculture)

"Peter started flying in 1933.  In 1936 he flew a Short Scion to India where he tried to interest the Maharaja's in the plane.  He also took part in an air race from Madras to Delhi and flew over the Himalayas saying they would try to see how high they could fly before passing out!  His first date with Cicely involved flying upside down in a small private plane - but she got her own back in her beloved Herbert - an Austin 7 which is still in working order!" nickimason

m. 1938 Cecily 'Dil' [North],  2 daughters

prev. a Fruit Grower

Address in 1940: 'Farthings', Kirdford, Sussex

Postings: 1FPP, 2FPP, 3FPP, 6FPP, AFTS

Within a few weeks of joining the ATA, he was told to deliver a Fairey Batle to the BEF in France; "I was still in civilian clothes, but someone produced a uniform three sizes too small for me which was better than nothing, as even in those days it was considered a bit risky to go to France looking like a farmer... Early on 13th June three of us went to Andover to collect our aircraft. We were told we could get maps from there, but when we arrived we found that they could only produce one set between us. Belville got the map, and Robin Hood and I followed on behind." Brief Glory

Having got there, they were stuck until the RAF offered them three unserviceable Hurricanes; "Belville and Hood had flown Hurricanes before, but I had not even seen the cockpit of one."

They later heard that the Germans had occupied the airfield less than 12 hours after they left.

"As second-in-command of 1FPP and later as O.C. of 6FPP, Cmdr Mursell proved outstanding as a pilot and officer & as a leader. This officer is first-class in every respect; both as subordinate and executive, he has proved himself entirely reliable and efficient. " G d'Erlanger

Member of the Royal Commission on Local Government in England, 1966

"After the war, his passion became boats and he and his wife had a 50 foot narrow boat named after his mother Fanny Grace, which they kept for 23 years."

"Kirdford Cricket Club originated in 1889 playing at the present football ground.  After the War cricket was played on the Recreation Ground (which was donated to the village by Sir Peter Mursell)."

29th October 1974 "The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Sir Peter Mursell, M.B.E., to be Vice Lord-Lieutenant for the County of West Sussex to act for Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant during his absence from the county, sickness or other inability to act."

d. 23 Aug 2008, Sussex

Lots more photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/phoebebright/sets/72157607166972073/

and stories at http://petermursell.blogspot.com/

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

IWM interview here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80009781

M.1034 *	3rd Officer	Martin Richard Nicholson
	b. 14 Dec 1924, Leeds	29 Jan 1944 to 30 Sep 1945

 Address in 1945: 4 Welburn Ave, West Park, Leeds 6

M.1001 *	3rd Officer	Sir Gerrard Charles Peat KCVO
	b. 14 Jun 1920, Bushey Heath	26 Jul 1943 to 30 Sep 1945

1943

1945

prev. an Articled Clerk and Chartered Accountant; his grandfather Sir William Barclay Peat was founder of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (now KPMG)

Address in 1945: Wycliffe Hall, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham

Later (from 1991) Director of Johnson Wax Ltd, and several other companies.

 in 2018

Sir Gerrard kindly allowed us to look at his ATA Log Book - see here for a transcript, detailing his flying career with the ATA.

d. 10 Oct 2021

W.129	3rd Officer	Mary Elizabeth 'Anne' Powys
	b. 12 Nov 1921, London	1 Jun 1943 to 13 Aug 1945

Father: Atherton Richard Norman Powys, LLB (a solicitor, c/o Pollock & Co, 50 Pall Mall, London W1), Mother: Elsie Dyus [Mattingley]

Ed. Wycombe Abbey School

prev. ATA aircraft electrician from 9 Jun 1942

Address in 1943: 56 Curzon St, London W1

 ab initio trainee

Postings: 12FPP, 15FPP

 Off sick from 22 Jun to 27 Jul 1943 with a burnt leg

3 Accidents, 1 her fault:

- 20 Aug 1943, a forced landing in Magister P6373 after engine failure on an attempted go-round

 - 8 Nov 1944, she overshot the landing in Spitfire Va X4922, partly due to a defective ASI

- 26 Jun 1945, another forced landing, this time in Seafire III NN192, after the port wing gun panel became detached

Gained her Royal Aero Club Certificate No 20516 on 22 Aug 1945, under the ATA's 'Wings' Scheme, having amassed 310 hrs

 d. 3 Jan 1995 - Fakenham, Norfolk

Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.134	2nd Officer	Margaret 'Elspeth' Russell
	b. 14 Jul 1922, Montreal, Canada	25 Sep 1943 to 31 Oct 1945

RAeC 1945

ATA

 Father: William Russell

Ed. King's Hill, Compton, Quebec; McGill University

prev. exp. 150 hrs

Address in 1943: 'Hillcrest', Matane, Quebec

Arrived in Liverpool from Nova Scotia on 19 Oct 1943

 m. 1945 in Hendon, London, Gerald Burnett (q.v.), a fellow ex-ATA pilot

They settled in Matane, Quebec, and formed their own airline: Matane Air Services.

Later, a flight instructor

"In 2002 Elspeth was inducted posthumously into the Quebec Aviation Hall of Fame."

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.137	3rd Officer	Maureen Elizabeth Shiel
	b. 14 Mar 1920, London	20 Sep 1943 to Aug 1945

Father: George Gerard Shiel, Mother: Marjorie [Melladew]

prev: Stenographer with ATA

 Postings: 1FPP, 7FPP

3 Accidents, all in the same month, and none her fault:

- 1 Feb 1945, the bracing strut of the starboard undercarriage leg collapsed after a normal landing in Hurricane IIc LF422

- 24 Feb 1945, she received a Certificate of Commendation for her skill during a forced landing in Mustang I AG362, after engine failure

- 28 Feb 1945, the hood of her Spitfire XIV RN203 blew off after take-off and she had to land back at the airfield.

Gained her Royal Aero Club Certificate No. 20571 on the 20 Sep 1945, as part of the 'ATA Wings' Scheme (RAeC Certificate missing)

[Certificate of Commendation, 1945]

 m.  Apr 1950 in Maidenhead, Richard William Hilary Elsden

 2 daughters, Mandy and Su

d. 2 Oct 1999 - Newbury, Berks

Her diary up to Jul 1944 can be viewed here: https://archive.atamuseum.org/diaries.php

Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.162	3rd Officer	Katharine Mary Stanley 'Katie' Smith
	b. 1 Sep 1919, Croydon	8 May-44 to Sep-45

ATA	RAeC 1945
The Final 7 Women Pilots - Betty Keith-Jopp (W.167), Sue Alexander (W.163), Joan Arthur (W.166), Ruth Russell (W.165), Annette Mahon (W.164), Aimee de Neve (W.168), Katharine Stanley Smith (W.162)

Father: Alfred Ernest Stanley Smith MC, a solicitor (d. 1947); Mother: Jennie Drayton [Pitts] (d. 1967)

Ed.  St. John's School, Bexhill-on-Sea

Prev. Costume staff of the Westminster Theatre, London; 

Womens Land Army 12 Apr to 6 Oct 1941 ("looking after pigs and chickens in a Mental Institute at Teddington");

WAAF from Dec 1941, Meteorological Officer stationed at Aldergrove, N. Ireland

Address in 1941: 45 Normanton Rd, South Croydon, Surrey

Her elder brother Edward was a fighter pilot, serving in the Battle of Britain and ending WWII as a Wing Commander:

see https://bbm.org.uk/airmen/SmithES.htm

Ab initio pilot

Postings: 5TFPP, 15FPP, 7FPP

3 accidents:

- 15 Oct 1944, her Tiger Moth T5368 was blown onto its nose by a "heavy" aircraft taxying ahead of her

- 28 Feb 1945, the port tyre of her Swordfish III NS133 burst on landing, cause unknown.

- Jul 1945, a heavy forced landing in Fairchild KK477 after engine failure, breaking the undercarriage and tipping the aircraft onto its nose

Of the last accident, she wrote "The pay-off was that later that same day HQ phoned Ratcliffe and asked them to send in Fairchild 477, it was due to be broken up. Our operations cheerfully told them not to worry, we'd already broken it up for them!"

m. 5 Jun 1945 in Croydon,  USAF Sgt. Arthur Zachary Hirsch Jr, from Woodbury, Connecticut, USA (They had met at Aldergrove, where he was with the US Weather Office)

Gained her Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate (No 20497) as part of the ATA's 'Wings' scheme on 8 Aug 1945

 "Katie and her husband became involved with theatrical work, thus reviving their original interests" - WAAF with Wings

d. 16 May 2010 - Rose Lane Adult Care Home, Prescott, AZ, USA

" On April 1, 1946 she and Zach arrived in the U.S. and she obtained her U.S. Citizenship in 1951 in Worcester, Mass. Kay worked for Dennisons Stationery Store in New York from 1946-47. From 1965-73 she was on the costume staff at Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. In the off season, costume staff at the Minnesota Opera Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, Minnesota Opera, Minnesota Children's Theatre. From 1973-79 she was on the costume staff McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ. From 1979-84 costume staff at the Dallas Ballet, Dallas Opera, Dallas Shakespeare-in-the-Park, SMU, Six Flags Over Texas.

In 1984 Kay and Zach moved to Prescott where she was the Resident Costumer at the Prescott Fine Arts Associations Community Theatre until 2008. During this time Kay designed and made costumes for over 110 Theatre productions. Kay was involved in the Girl Scouts serving as a Brownie Leader for 6 years, Girl Scout Troop Leader for 6 years, Senior Girl Scout Leader for 4 years and was the Girl Scout Coordinator in the Elementary School. She was involved in the Cub Scouts as a Den Leader for 4 years and her Den was selected by Howard Sanden, Brown & Bigelow Calender-printer artist to be painted on the annual Cub Scout Calender. Kay was an Executive Board Member of the Yavapai Humane Society for 10 years and originated the Santa Paws, Dog Show, and PR slide promotion programs. She was also a member of the British War Brides Association and 99's (Women's Pilots Association)." - https://www.ruffnerwakelin.com/obituaries/KatharineKay-Mary-Stanley-Smith-Hirsch?obId=487953

Arthur d. 2015

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W.153 *	3rd Officer	Winifred 'Pooh' Stokes
	b. 27 Sep 1918, Benwick Cambs	21 Feb 1944 to 30 Sep 1945

ATA

RAeC 1945

Father: Herbert Stokes, a garage proprietor, Mother: [Smith]

 prev. Bank Clerk; Ambulance Driver; WAAF

 Address in 1939: London Rd, Peterborough

Ab initio pilot

 with (l) Di Faunthorpe

 She gained her Royal Aero Club Certificate No 20942 on 3 Aug 1945, as part of the 'ATA Wings' programme

 Address in 1945: New Rd, Benwick, Cambs

m. 12 Nov 1946 in Ash Shatibi, Al Iskandariyah, Egypt, F/O (later Sqn-Ldr) Peter George Pudney Henson RAF

  1951

from Wellingborough, Northants

Winifred and 4-month old daughter Pamela sailed back from Egypt to the UK in September 1948; she and Peter then sailed to the USA in 1954 with daughters Pamela (age 6) and Christine (b. 1950 in York)

Peter d. 1956 missing presumed killed as a result of a flying accident in Florida;  flying a F-84 Thunderjet, he parachuted into the water 3 miles offshore but bad weather prevented a rescue.

"His wife and two small daughters live at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida" - The Montgomery Advertiser, 2 Feb 1956

 Address 1969-83: Lansdowne Rd, Bedford

d. 1 Apr 2002 - Bedford

M.932	First Officer	Francis Stanley Symondson
	b. 27 Mar 1897 Sutton, Surrey	21 Jun 1943 to Oct-45

Address in 1943:  The Haven, Fowey, Cornwall

WWI ace (12 victories) - went to Italy flying Camels with 66 Sqn, and was shot down once in Belgium and twice in Italy.

Competed in the King's Cup in 1930 and 1931.

Despite being over 40 when WWII broke out, Francis joined the RAF as a Flt-Lt in Apr-39 and then in June 1943 joined the ATA.

He was certainly experienced (1,500 hours, although mostly on light types), and keen - in fact, "his keenness to do a job may lead him to ask for more than he can safely cope with". He went on to complete a very large number of successful aircraft deliveries on 24 different aircraft, mostly Spitfires, in "an eminently satisfactory manner".

Although he did have one senior moment, in January 1944, when he landed a Hurricane with the wheels up. He had "failed to carry out his cockpit drill".

By 1945 though, even the ATA noticed that he was perhaps getting on a bit to be a ferry pilot; "This pilot was very nervous and under-confident at the beginning of the course but eventually settled down and reached an average standard. I would suggest however that owing to his age he has reached the limits of his ability and should not be considered for further progress".

He was nevertheless "an extremely enthusiastic and hard working pilot who has been of great value".

d. 1975

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W.127	2nd Officer	Mrs Irene Mary Ellis Wilson
	b. 22 May 1919, Madras India	1 Jun 1943 to 31 Oct 1945

1940

ATAM

 née Jones

Father: Lt. William Ellis Jones, RNVR, Mother: Nan, of 'Isfryn', Eddisbury Rd, W. Kirby, Wirral, Cheshire, and Bombay

Travelled to the UK in 1923

Ed. Howells School, Denbigh. N Wales

m. 14 Feb 1940 in Hoylake, Cheshire, 2nd-Lt Denis Vivian Ellis Wilson RHA (d. 26 Nov 1941 on war service)

prev. Bank Secretary; MT Driver with ATA from 16 Mar 1942

 [ab initio pilot]

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