ATA 1 Air Transport Auxiliary 2025
ATA 1 Air Transport Auxiliary
2025
The Triumph of the Human Spirit ~ That Is All That Need
Be Said
Second Officer Jadwiga Piłsudska, a Polish female pilot serving in the ATA. Maidenhead, 19 March 1943. She is a daughter of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, the prewar leader of Poland. Before war she was a renowned glider pilot. In September 1939, together with her sister and mother, she escaped from Soviet-occupied Wilno to Sweden and then to Britain. This caption is by gracious permission of the Imperial War Museum. (CH 8935) Non-commercial use.
Calmness, Defiance, Resolution
The triumph of the human spirit ~ that is all that need be said. Not quite.
The role and service of Britain’s Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War is often understated or not mentioned. Yet, without these dedicated men and women ATA pilots, the Royal Air Force and the Commonwealth Air Forces would have been hardpressed to maintain both defensive and offensive operations against the Luftwaffe and against Nazi Germany itself in the Strategic Air Offensive.
We now have the ATAA ~ The Air Transport Auxiliary Association. This organisation keeps alive the memory of all personnel serving in the ATA during the Second World War, as well as acting as a portal that we can visit in order to correctly report events and to check our research.
A BBC Video Clip here taken from Spitfire Women which was first screened in 2010 is a very welcome introduction.
As the text accompanies the clip explains:
“During WWII 168 female pilots fought against all the odds for the right to aid the war effort. These trailblazers were part of the Air Transport Auxiliary - a thousand strong organisation that delivered aircraft to the frontline RAF. They were expected to fly wherever the need was greatest , in whatever aircraft was required - one in 10 women pilots died flying for the ATA.
Their story is one of courage, sexism, patriotism but above all, a story about women who wanted to break the confines of the world they lived in - and reach for the skies.”
Great Britain, 1 September 1939
All RAF squadrons are put at war readiness, and RAF reserves are called up; in addition, the Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) is activated, and the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) is formed to move airplanes and equipment from the factories where they are manufactured to operational units. (1)
11 November 1939
London
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
September 1939 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Consort
Image is by gracious permission of the Imperial War Museum, this wonderful photograph capturing a nation at war on the Home Front is catalogued as IWM (P 399). I confirm that I am a fully paid up member of the IWM. Member ends 8824 and auto renews 250226
IN A SPEECH TODAY Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Consort, urged the women of Britain to keep up their war work in every field of national service. This now includes flying every type of aircraft, from fighters and bombers to light transports, in the Air Transport Auxiliary. The ATA was set up on 1st September this year to ferry aircraft from the factories to RAF airfields, and freeing the fighter and bomber pilots of the task. It is an ideal war role for experienced women pilots, and the first women are now preparing for the job. Among them is Pauline Gower, who has been processing for women to join the ATA. (1)
HM Queen Elizabeth continuing her work and encouragement, here visiting RAF Warboys in 1944, one of the Pathfinder Squadrons.
August 31, 1941 ~ America
Jacqueline Cochran
Before the United States joined World War II, Cochran was part of "Wings for Britain", an organization ferrying American-built aircraft to Britain, and becoming the first woman to fly a bomber (a Lockheed Hudson V) across the Atlantic.
In Britain, Cochran volunteered her services to the Royal Air Force and for several months worked for the British Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), recruiting qualified women pilots in the United States and taking them to Britain where they joined the ATA.[9]
Flight Captain Cochran in the ATA equated to a Squadron Leader in the RAF and a Major in the U.S. Air Force).
Famous American speed flyer Jacqueline Cochran was today hired on a special mission to recruit American women pilots to fly delivery missions for the British government. The volunteer flyers are to join the air transport auxiliary ATA in Britain to fly aeroplanes and war equipment from factories to operational units.
Cochran has been trying for some months to set up a similar scheme to the ATA in America, in order to take advantage of the school and commitment of her countries 650 qualified women pilots. But her attempts to interest the American army air forces Hierarchy met with little enthusiasm. Nevertheless, she did achieve a first, limited, success at the end of last month when USAF chief General Henry H (Hap) Arnold agreed to take on 50 of the most experienced women pilots to fly on a trial basis for USAF ferrying command, which was set up in May.
October 20, 1943 San Antonio Texas
Women pilots to fly delivery missions for US air services
Doris Marland
A wartime photograph of Doris Marland serving as a pilot with the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASPS).
The pilot delivering a new aircraft to Randolph Field USAF space here is likely to be a woman, following today’s announcement of the formation of the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots WASP.
With pilots needed for combat overseas, the USAF does not want to use them to ferry planes from factories to basis. The WASPs, headed by veteran pilot Jacqueline Cochran, are one of two groups of women organised along the lines of Britain’s Air Transport Auxiliary ATA for non—combat rules. The other is the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, under Nancy H Love.
A Wartime Image
A British Pilot in Britain’s Air Transport Auxiliary meets a Barracuda.
A Wartime Image
Five ATA Pilots at work. Let us never forget that ATA pilots often flew seven crew four-engined heavy bombers with no crew. Even today, that is something that most of us would not wish to attempt. KTW
The Anna Peterson 2007 Air Transport Auxiliary Archive Thesis
In 2007 Anna Peterson (now Anna Cole) very kindly contributed her poster and 2007 college thesis to the ATA Archive, (ATAA) and now practises law in Durham, New Hampshire.
The very large Poster can be seen here. It is a superb overview and record, as well as a continuing inspiration to women and men all over the world.
I regard it as so important that I show here the Poster’s url should the link, for some reason, not activate on your browser. https://archive.atamuseum.org/pdf/AnnaPeterson_poster-min.pdf
We live again in very dangerous times, when, unbelievably, whole nations still subordinate women and insist that a girl learn servitude, humility, acquiescence, a very limited educationmbased only on religion, and silence in a man’s presence.
That is, bluntly, evil!
Kenneth Thomas Webb
7 July 2025
ATA Officer Joy Lofthouse
A British pilot flying Supermarine Spitfires direct from the assembly lines to Royal Air Force fighter stations.
VICTORY born of Bravery.
This wartime image in between operations is courtesy of the Spitfire SoC to whom all rights are reserved.
In 2025, our frontline RAF pilots in the Royal Air Force are men and women.
And something else that is incredibly moving. In the Wikipedia link found here, I learned that Joy Lofthouse flew eighteen types of aircraft and these included both fighters, twin-engined bombers and the mighty four-engined-heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Air Forces ~ the Handley Page Halifax, the Avro Lancaster and the Short Stirling.
That is an incredible achievement!
Joy Lofthouse
1923-2017
Links
https://www.spitfiresociety.org
Kenneth Thomas Webb
7 July 2025
Portrait Image of Pilot Joy Lofthouse (Gough) by kind permission of the Spitfire Society
Sources and Citations
1 Main Source: Chronicle of Aviation JL published by International Publishing 1992 Chronicle Communications Ltd United Kingdom.
Chronicle of Aviation has been conceived and published by Jaques Legrand, a Gift from my dear friend Ms Despina Christodoulou of Cyprus
2 Spitfire Society
3 Anna Cole née Peterson
First written 16 February 2025
