bluethrunthru
Well-Known Member
Just read that Joy - the last surviving female ATA pilot from WW2 passed away today aged 94.
Who? What? some will say. Joy Lofthouse was a remarkably brave lady who with 163 other female pilots who served with the Air Transport Auxilliary delivered planes during WW2 from factory to airfields thus freeing up experienced male pilots for front line duty. These were invariably young girls flew single and multi engined aircraft on their own flying by following railway lines and roads to find where they going. Often at first the male pilots and ground crew were amazed when a slip of a girl on her own dropped out of the hatch on a twin engined bomber that they just delivered.
Joy was the last of the few brave young ladies who's number included famous aviatrix Amy Johnson who was lost over the Thames estuary when on a mission to deliver a plane.
Looks like Joy held out to see one last Remembrance Sunday - fair play to her and I tip my metaphorical cap to her and her compatriots for their largely unsung bravery - we will never see their likes again.
Who? What? some will say. Joy Lofthouse was a remarkably brave lady who with 163 other female pilots who served with the Air Transport Auxilliary delivered planes during WW2 from factory to airfields thus freeing up experienced male pilots for front line duty. These were invariably young girls flew single and multi engined aircraft on their own flying by following railway lines and roads to find where they going. Often at first the male pilots and ground crew were amazed when a slip of a girl on her own dropped out of the hatch on a twin engined bomber that they just delivered.
Joy was the last of the few brave young ladies who's number included famous aviatrix Amy Johnson who was lost over the Thames estuary when on a mission to deliver a plane.
Looks like Joy held out to see one last Remembrance Sunday - fair play to her and I tip my metaphorical cap to her and her compatriots for their largely unsung bravery - we will never see their likes again.