When you hear the word ‘spitfires’, do you think about fearless women pilots? You may now!
This year the nation is looking back 80 years and celebrating the Allied victory over Germany on May 8, 1945, known as V-E Day. A new book called Spitfires by Becky Aikman has emerged about the courageous women aviators of World War 11 whom you may never have heard about.
Becky explores the remarkable lives of twenty-five daring American women pilots who risked their lives and ferried bombers to airbases for Great Britain, helping to win the war. Interestingly, the women came from a variety of backgrounds: crop dusters, debutantes, college girls and performers in flying circuses — all of them accomplished pilots.
These celebrated heroines were soon forgotten until Becky Aikman brought them back into the spotlight. TWE connected with Becky as we wanted to find out more about these heroic Spitfires.
EYE: Who are these Spitfires and what exactly did they do?
BECKY: The Spitfires were twenty-five trailblazing American women who were certified pilots before World War II, so you know already that they were bold, unafraid to break out of expected roles. They doubled down by wanting to fly in the war, but the American military wouldn’t allow women to fly.
Great Britain, however, was under daily attack by German bombers and was so desperate for help that it would accept foreigners and even women in the Air Transport Auxiliary of the Royal Air Force.
Pilots who joined this swashbuckling unit were expected to fly up to 147 models of the latest bombers and fighters to and from frontline bases with little advance training. That’s how these pilots became the first American women to fly military aircraft.
EYE: How did you decide to name the book?
BECKY: I gave the book the title Spitfires because that was considered a term for fierce, feisty women at the time. It was also the name of the pilots’ favorite fighter plane, an iconic aircraft that was often credited with winning the Battle of Britain.
These Spitfires were fierce. One of the things I liked most about them was that they lived the way women still aspire to today. They seized the freedom granted to them in wartime to pursue their careers and their personal lives as they pleased.
EYE: How did you find out about these fearless women?
BECKY: Despite their historic achievement, the American women who flew in the ATA have been almost completely overlooked by history. It was pure chance that my mother remembered hearing something about them when she was a young child during World War II. She told me she was inspired by how noble and glamorous they were. It took a lot of digging, and finding diaries and letters in the attics of the pilots’ families, before I could bring their story back to life.
EYE: How did these women come together in the first place?
BECKY: The world-famous American aviator, Jacqueline Cochran, who won all kinds of air races and set aviation records, wanted to start such a unit for women in the United States. When she failed to convince U.S. officials, she decided to make her point by recruiting women for the British instead.
She sent a telegram to women pilots who had logged more than 300 hours flying time. Those who received the telegram thought the opportunity was too good to be true. It was their dream to live this adventure, helping to save the world while fulfilling their ambitions for flying career.
They made their way to Montreal to pass a flight check by flying a high-powered fighter plane, way more advanced than anything they had seen before. Then they made their way across the Atlantic in cargo ships in early 1942, dodging German submarines. Montreal and onboard ship were the first places most of them met. They formed friendships and rivalries — everyone wanted to win the right to fly the fastest, scariest aircraft. They hoped such achievements would help them continue working as pilots after the war.
Once they proved themselves in Britain, the U.S. reconsidered and started what became the WASP. Jackie Cochran returned to help lead the unit. It transported aircraft for the military, but only within the United States. Most of the Spitfires stayed in Britain. They wanted to be close to the action. (You can see the evolution of the Spitfire below.)
EYE: What dangers did these fearless women face?
BECKY: Their job was one of the most dangerous of the war. One in seven pilots in the Air Transport Auxiliary died in crashes. In part, this was because they flew new, often untested aircraft that were rolling out of factories at a frenetic pace. Engines often failed, so the pilots knew they could be killed unless they made spectacular saves. The flyers also returned for repair the aircraft that had been damaged in battle, little knowing what could go wrong until the planes were high in the sky.
The British weather posed another danger. There were frequent storms and whiteouts, and pilots flew without instruments, sometimes smacking into mountains or church steeples. I wrote many scenes of flyers coping with crazy situations. They had to have talent and absolutely steady nerves to survive.
EYE: Did anything surprise you about these daring pilots?
BECKY: What surprised me most was how such trailblazers could have been forgotten. The pilot Mary Zerbel was a celebrity during the war for being one of the youngest pilots, and later a movie based on her life starred Lana Turner! But when Mary died, her obituary was only three sentences in a small newspaper. It didn’t even mention that she knew how to fly.
EYE: Are any Spitfires still alive?
BECKY: Nancy Miller Stratford, originally from Los Angeles, is about to turn 106! She is the last surviving transport pilot, man or woman. Her service, and the freedom it granted her to pursue her dreams, was the highlight of her life.
EYE: What intrigued you to write about these forgotten heroes?
BECKY: They were a cross-section of American womanhood, from all parts of society. Roberta Sandoz was a crop duster who earned extra money performing a mock striptease in an air show.
Virginia Farr was a member of one of the country’s wealthiest families, raised to be a debutante and marry into even more money. This was completely wrong for her, since she was attracted to women rather than men. Serving in Britain gave her an escape from the gilded cage of family expectations.
Dorothy Furey came from an impoverished family and only had an eighth-grade education. But she managed to pass in England as a sort of American aristocrat by acting imperious and recycling a single red dress.
Ann Wood, the president of her college class, pursued a career the way people do today. On leave in London, she formed a network of contacts who might help her advance. They included diplomats, journalists, businessmen, generals, and spies. The Spitfires were so admired for their bravery that they were welcome everywhere in British society.
EYE: What can readers take away from Spitfires that might apply to today?
BECKY: Even though the 1940s were a very different time, I was struck by how much the issues for women remain the same. The pilots had to prove themselves in the face of doubts by many in society that they were capable of performing a demanding job. And their diaries showed me how they struggled to balance their personal choices with career ambition. The war opened a window to them for the way women lived decades later.
“We were the thin edge of the wedge,” said Roberta Sandoz. The challenge was to capitalize on that opening once the war was over.
EYE: Were you inspired to do something fearless after all your research and publishing Spitfires?
BECKY: I was flabbergasted by how brave these women were. I can’t imagine myself being that fearless. In fact, after investigating so many crashes and near-misses, I’ve become a more nervous flyer than before!
On the other hand, perhaps none of us know what we are capable of unless we are put in life-and-death situations for causes we believe in. The Spitfires proved that women could risk everything for their ideals.
EYE: Thank you for your time and insights, Becky. TWE wishes you continued success with this fascinating part of history that we are all glad is now being honored with your Spitfires!
We will always remember Joan Hughes’ quote when asked whether women were too weak to fly the huge Stirling bomber you see below.
“The idea is for the plane to lift me, not for me to lift the plane!”
Lead Photo Caption: American pilot Jacqueline Cochran and other American and British women pilots on their arrival in Great Britain, May 31, 1942. Courtesy Keystone-France via Getty Images
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