Banquet Thursday October 11, 2018 The Mayflower Hotel, Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D.C. Celebrating the Pioneering Women of the Air Transport Auxiliary and the Women Airforce Service Pilots RAFMAF P01-05 FC_CONTENTS_WELCOME.indd 1 02/10/2018 11:01
AIR POWER IS HERE. AT LOCKHEED MARTIN, WE’RE ENGINEERING A BETTER TOMORROW.® The F-35 is the world’s most advanced fighter and in this historic year for the Royal Air Force (RAF), the F-35 will enter service with the UK’s Lightning Force providing game-changing, 5th Generation capabilities to the RAF and Royal Navy for decades to come. Lockheed Martin is proud to be working with more than 500 UK companies and thousands of highly skilled workers to deliver the F-35 to the UK and its allies. Learn more at lockheedmartin.com © 2018 LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION RAFMAF P01-05 FC_CONTENTS_WELCOME.indd 2 Live: 15mm Margins Trim: H: 237mm W: 170mm 02/10/2018 11:01
4 6 7 10 14 15 16 17 18 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION Major General (Ret) Frederick F. Roggero USAF, President, RAFMAF AIR MARSHAL STUART ATHA CB DFC ADC RAF Deputy Commander Operations, RAF 22 THE AIR TRANSPORT AUXILIARY The story of the female pilots that flew for this remarkable organisation during the Second World War 25 THE WASP REMEMBERED The Women Airforce Service Pilots made a vital contribution to the US war effort – but their story was untold for decades 29 NELL STEVENSON BRIGHT Women Airforce Service Pilot CHRISTINE MAU Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) USAF 30 MARY ELLIS Air Transport Auxiliary Pilot JO SALTER Honorary Group Captain, 601 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force 34 THE 617 SQUADRON STORY Looking at the history of the recently reformed RAF squadron, stretching back 75 years to the famous ‘Dambusters’ mission for which it was created PROJECT PREDATOR: FROM CREECH TO HENDON – VIA NELLIS AND BRIZE NORTON Recalling the transatlantic journey of a Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, now on display at the RAF Museum in Hendon ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SERVICE AND SACRIFICE How the RAF Museum has transformed its London site for the Service’s centenary THE ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION SWORDS OF HONOR Recognizing the most outstanding RAF and USAF officers on exchange this year SWORDS OF HONOR 2018 CITATIONS Squadron Leader Benjamin Durham MSc RAF and Lieutenant Colonel T Gwyddon Owen USAF ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Cover: Four Women Airforce Service Pilots and their aircraft, ‘Pistol Packin’ Mama’, at the four-engine school at Lockbourne AAF, Ohio, circa 1944 – (left to right) Frances Green, Margaret (Peg) Kirchner, Ann Waldner and Blanche Osborn (Photo: U.S. Air Force) Produced by Harfield Media Edited by Barry Davies Designed by Herita MacDonald RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 3 RAFMAF P01-05 FC_CONTENTS_WELCOME.indd 3 02/10/2018 11:01
Major General (Ret) Frederick F. Roggero, USAF President, Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation THE ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM AMERICAN Foundation (RAFMAF) is honored and proud to host the Spirit of the Battle of Britain Annual Dinner and would like to thank Air Marshal Stuart Atha CB DFC ADC for his, and the Royal Air Force’s, continued help in our support of the RAF Museum. We are also delighted to welcome General Stephen W. Wilson, Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (USAF), to help us honor the outstanding service of the top RAF and USAF exchange officers of 2018. This year it is our great privilege to honor the pioneering women of aviation from the Second World War in the form of the lady pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary and the Women’s Air Service Pilots – the WASP. By their tenacity, love of flying and bravery they created pathways for the women of our modern air forces to follow, forging careers in aviation. You will read more about how the inspiring pilots of these two organizations flew their aircraft across, and between, their two nations, freeing up valuable flying hours for their male counterparts for combat. It is also an honor for the Foundation to recognize the continued close association between our servicemen by presenting two ceremonial Swords of Honor to the RAF and USAF Exchange Officers whose contributions have most reflected the values that our veterans, and the Foundation, share: Service, Excellence, Integrity and Courage. It is these values that we honor in our young serving women and men of today, and encourage in the young people of tomorrow. As we look back on what has happened within the Foundation over the past year, I must report the sad news that our guest veteran of two years ago, Wing Commander Tom Neil, passed away in July, shortly after the formal RAF centenary celebrations in the UK. His passing was closely followed by that of his Battle of Britain fellow officer, Geoffrey Wellum, and then by that of Mary Ellis, one of the last surviving ATA pilots, whose story you will hear tonight. In January, members of the Foundation’s Board joined representatives from the RAF and the USAF to support, celebrate and commemorate the relationship between the airmen of the UK and US militaries by laying a wreath at a grave within Arlington National Cemetery, containing both British and American airmen. The wreckage of their aircraft wasn’t discovered until 1995 – nearly 50 years after it went down in Queensland, Australia – and the officers’ remains were interred together in Arlington on September 29, 1995. In pursuing its mission, RAFMAF has also been focused on education by supporting key exhibits within the RAF Museum. We were delighted, in this RAF centenary year, to facilitate the USAF’s loan of a retired MQ-1 Predator Remote Piloted Aircraft, made by General Atomics, to the RAF Museum in London, and it was finally installed just days before the Museum’s formal relaunch at the end of June. The story of the Predator’s journey can be found on page 22 of this book. The Foundation was also pleased to make a significant donation to the Museum’s centenary program and funded a 601 Squadron Trail, displaying memorabilia from the squadron’s history. This includes a ‘Gate Guardian’ in the form of a Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVI in the 601 Squadron livery that welcomes visitors to the Museum. The squadron’s battle honors most notably include the Battle of Britain, and the first Americans to fly in the Second World War. RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 4 RAFMAF P01-05 FC_CONTENTS_WELCOME.indd 4 02/10/2018 11:01
Fund to ensure that the shared aviation heritage of the US and UK air forces is kept alive, by celebrating the shared values of the fighting airmen and airwomen of the past, present and future. The selection of a project will be decided by the Chief Executive Officer of the Museum, and the selected work or project will directly pertain to, and reflect, the enduring joint relationship between the USAF and the RAF, both in war and in peace. Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation board members joined representatives of the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force for a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery With the help of our sponsors, the Foundation will continue to keep our combined and shared histories of air power alive. Thank you for attending tonight and for your continued support of RAFMAF and the RAF Museum. RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 5 RAFMAF P01-05 FC_CONTENTS_WELCOME.indd 5 02/10/2018 11:01
CB DFC ADC RAF Deputy Commander Operations, Royal Air Force I AM ENORMOUSLY GRATEFUL TO BE invited to the annual ‘Spirit of the Battle of Britain’ dinner of the Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation (RAFMAF). In this the centenary year of the Royal Air Force, the critical importance of the Foundation to the Royal Air Force Museum has yet again been underlined, whether through the generous funds raised in support of the Museum’s centenary program or through its continuing good work to deepen the bond between our nations and our air forces. This relationship is vital insurance against a world that continues to be troubled and uncertain. But the dinner is an opportunity to reflect on our shared history with pride and look forward to the future with optimism and confidence. For the spirit of the Battle of Britain, which was instilled at the inception of both our air forces and exemplified by the Few, carries on in the brave men and women who continue to fly in close formation in the service of both our nations. Tonight we celebrate, in particular, the role of women in aviation and will hear from two women I know well: Mary Ellis and Jo Salter. Drawn from different generations, they have common character. They were both female pioneers in the air and possessed the spirit, grit, talent, courage and determination to succeed in a hitherto male-dominated world. Jo was the first female operational fighter pilot in the RAF and Mary served with the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War, delivering all types of aircraft, fighter and bombers, from the factories to the airfields, mostly with nothing more than a compass and a map. Nell Bright, a WASP veteran, and Christine Mau, the first female combat F-35 pilot, will also be here tonight, reflecting the contribution and advancement of women in American aviation. Together, the Atagirls and the WASP made a crucial contribution to the war effort, which General ‘Hap’ Arnold recognized in 1944 when he said: “We will not again look upon a woman flying as an experiment.” As the RAF moves into its second century, we are inspired by the examples of Mary and Jo. In 2017, the RAF became the first UK Service to open all combat roles to women. But we have much more to do to ensure that opportunity is available to all. We will continue to push back the barriers and overcome the hurdles in the way. The ambition for RAF100 is to inspire the next generation of airmen and airwomen. To realise this, we will be guided by the words of King George VI, a founding member of the RAF, who said: “Per Ardua ad Astra is what inspires each and every member of the Royal Air Force – the spirit that seeks and attains the stars, however hard the way may be.” I am hugely thankful to RAFMAF for its enduring support and for how the Foundation has helped us along the way. RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 6 RAFMAF P06-09 Foreword_ATA.indd 6 02/10/2018 11:00
a short-lived, but remarkable, organization existed The Air Transport Auxiliary THE AIR TRANSPORT AUXILIARY (ATA) was a civilian service that was tasked with the delivery of aircraft from factories to the squadrons of the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, and the delivery of supplies. Comprising pilots exempt from wartime service owing to health, age and gender, the ATA gained a reputation for being able to take anything to anywhere. With access to the list of civil pilots, Sir Gerard d’Erlanger (Commodore, Air Transport Auxiliary), was able to choose staff to suit the needs of his new organization. Twenty-three pilots were appointed to the ATA at its inception. They came from a cross section of society – from journalists, patent engineers and motorcycle racers to innkeepers, antique dealers and furniture-makers. RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 7 RAFMAF P06-09 Foreword_ATA.indd 7 02/10/2018 11:00
in the air, but the one thing they all had in common was a love of flying. In September 1939, the ATA was attached to RAF Reserve Command and formally took on the role of ferrying operational aircraft for the Services. In the following December, Pauline Gower was appointed as the leader of the new women’s section of the ATA. As aircraft production increased to meet demand, so did the need for the ATA’s ferrying service, and the decision was made to allow women to fly operational aircraft. On July 19, 1941 a Hurricane landed at Hatfield. Women could finally fly fighters! With the bombing offensive against Germany in full swing, there was an increase in the number of four-engine bombers to deliver. In September 1942, while based at White Waltham, Lettice Curtis was put forward to train on these aircraft, passing the tests in February 1943. Joan Hughes soon followed and, by the end of the war, 11 women had been cleared to fly heavy bombers. From D-Day onward, ATA personnel knew that soon it would all be over. The demand for their ferrying and air taxi services decreased and eventually came to an end. After VE Day, ATA pilots started returning to their peacetime jobs, foreign nationals went home and the pools closed. On September 29, 1945, 12,000 people attended the ATA pageant at White Waltham, which included a flying display. This was only time the public ever had the opportunity to see the work of the ATA. Two ATA pilots walk to the aircraft they have been assigned to deliver ATA personnel receive technical instruction (l to r) ATA pilots Lettice Curtis, Jenny Broad, Wendy Sale-Barker, Gabrielle Patterson and Pauline Gower Reproduced by permission of David Higham and RAF Charitable Trust Enterprises RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 8 RAFMAF P06-09 Foreword_ATA.indd 8 02/10/2018 11:00
TO ANYWHERE The ATA gained a reputation of being willing and able to fly anything ‘from anywhere, to anywhere.’ ATA pilots delivered new aircraft straight from factories, and aircraft in need of repair were taken to and from Maintenance Units. They also ensured that the RAF and Fleet Air Arm had aircraft as and when needed. The ATA divided aircraft types into six classes. If you could fly a specific type you were authorised to fly any aircraft in the same class. RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 9 RAFMAF P06-09 Foreword_ATA.indd 9 02/10/2018 11:00
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