Those Amazing Women and Their Flying Machines

Seventy-five years ago this month, the Women’s Air Service Pilots organization was disbanded. A federal organization, the WASPs was formed seventeen months earlier by merging the Women’s Flying Training Detachment and the Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, both created in September 1942. 

As civilians, members of the WASPs were not in the military, however, in June 1944 the House considered HR 4219, a bill that would grant them military status. It was defeated 188 to 169. Two weeks prior, the House Committee on the Civil Service (Ramspeck Committee) reported that it deemed the WASPs “unnecessary” and “unjustifiably expensive,” having cost the government $50 million. They recommended the program be halted. 

During its period of operation, each member’s service had freed a male pilot for combat or other duties. The women flew over sixty million miles, transported every type of military aircraft, towed targets for live anti-aircraft gun practice, simulated strafing missions, and transported cargo.

More than 25,000 women applied to the WASPs. Qualifications were that the applicant must be between 21 and 35 years old, at least 5’2” tall, in good health, hold a pilot’s license, and have a minimum of 500 hours of flight time. Over 1,800 were accepted, the majority of whom were Caucasian. There were two Chinese-Americans, two Mexican-Americans, and one Native American.

Of those accepted, 1,074 completed the training. Although they were not trained for combat, their course of instruction was almost the same as male aviation cadets. The women received no gunnery training and very little formation and aerobatic flying, but they did go through the maneuvers necessary to be able to recover from any position. By graduation, WASPs had 560 hours of ground school and 210 hours of flight training. In addition, they knew Morse code, meteorology, military law, physics, aircraft mechanics, and navigation. 

On December 7, 1944 (Pearl Harbor Day), the last class of WASP pilots graduated from training, despite the plan to disband the organization. After the announcement was made, nearly two dozen women offered to continue the work at a salary of $1.00 per year, but the offer was rejected. Following the group’s disbandment, some WASP members were allowed to fly on board government aircraft as long as room was available and no additional expenses were incurred. The other had to arrange and pay for their own transportation home.

Several times during the 1970s efforts were made to gain recognition for the WASPs, but it was not until 1977 that President Jimmy Carter signed legislation P.L. 95-202 providing that service as a WASP would be considered active duty for the purposes of programs administered by the Veterans Administration. In 1984, each WASP was awarded the WWII Victory Medal, and those who served more than one year received the American Theater Ribbon/American Campaign Medical.

Would you ever consider learning to fly?

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Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone's throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII. Find out more about Linda and her books on her website. Receive a free short story when you sign up for her newsletter. 

From Shampoo Girl to Aviatrix

Entering the world at a time when women were expected to be mothers and homemakers, Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran shattered that mold to become a record-breaking aviatrix. Born Bessie Lee Pittman in either 1906, 1909 or 1910, Jackie was the youngest of five children. Seemingly embarrassed about her background, she often claimed the Pittmans were not her real parents.

At a young age, Jackie found a job as a shampoo girl in a beauty parlor then worked her way up to the position of beautician and specialized in giving permanent waves-a new trend in hairstyles. Around this time she changed her name and moved to New York City where she became one of the top-ranked hairdressers in the city.  Her services were in such demand she often accompanied her customers when they traveled.

During a trip to Miami, Jackie met Floyd Odlum. After she revealed her plans to start a cosmetics company and take it on the road, Floyd suggested that learning to fly might give her a competitive advantage.

Jackie jumped at the idea and immediately signed up for lessons. She later remembered, “At that moment, when I paid for my first lesson a beauty operator ceased to exist and an aviator was born.” After obtaining her license in 1932, she entered numerous air races and competitions. She married Floyd in 1936.

Anxious to help England with their war against Germany, in 1939 Jackie became part of “Wings for Britain,” an organization that ferried American-built airplanes to Britain. Once in England, she volunteered her services to the Royal Air Force, and for several months worked for the British Air Transport Auxiliary. Considering that the U.S. might eventually enter the war, she wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt proposing a woman’s flying division in the U.S. Army Air Forces.

Her letter was turned over the General Hap Arnold who rejected the proposal. She returned home, and for the next two years continued to fly competitively breaking speed records and taking home awards. When staffing shortages reached a critical level, General Arnold asked Jackie to travel back to England to study the Air Transport Auxiliary. To her dismay, while she was gone he created the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron and put Nancy Harkness Love in charge. Jackie remained in England with the ATA.

In 1943, the General asked Jackie to return to the U.S. to direct the newly formed Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). In this position she supervised the training of hundreds of female pilots. For her efforts, she was awarded both the Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war she flew the new jet aircraft and became involved in the Mercury 13 program, an early effort to test the ability of women to be astronauts.

To this day the former Bessie Lee Pittman still holds more distance and speed records than any pilot living or dead, male or female. Not bad for a poverty-stricken girl from Florida who never finished school.

 

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A freelance writer for over twelve years, Linda Matchett also writes historical fiction. She is currently seeking a publisher for her series about war correspondent Ruth Brown. Visit her at www.LindaShentonMatchett.com