Joy Muntz first female ATA pilot WW2 casualty

Joy Muntz Davison died in ATA service 8 July 1940. The first woman pilot to die in Second World War

 On 8 July 1940 Joy Muntz Davison became the first female Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to die in service.

  Elsie Joy Muntz

She was a long time friend of Amy Johnson. Amy is sometimes mistakenly believed to have been the first woman pilot to die in the Second World War. Sadly, that fate fell to Joy.  It is also sometimes disputed that Joy had actually started working in the ATA. This confusion is caused because her death occurred whilst on a conversion course for another aircraft. Evidence proves that Joy had in fact already been on active service under the command of her good friend ATA Commandant Pauline Gower. Joy’s death was the first of other ATA women who followed her fate, including Amy herself. Joy was associated with the Solent area through several family connections. As a child she grew up in Winchester. She lived and worked in the Portsmouth area as a pilot during 1938 and 1939, the latter year being spent with Amy flying between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight for P.S.I.O.W.A., on Monospars.  Joy’s life story will be added to this website in the coming months.
Lest we forget.

Preview of new Pauline Gower biography – on her birthday

Pauline Gower Pioneering Leader of the Spitfire Women

During the last two years of global pandemic many authors settled down to write the book they had always intended to write. A brand new biography of British aviatrix Pauline Gower is the outcome of months of ‘lockdown.’ With the backing of Pauline’s son Michael and Dorothy Spicer’s daughter, the author Alison Hill, has written a new account of the woman who was destined to write her own history across the sky.

Today, on Pauline’s birthday, History Press have launched a preview of the book cover and introduction:

On this Day…

Pauline Mary de Peauly Gower was born on 22 July 1910 at Sandown Court, Tunbridge Wells, the younger daughter of Robert and Dorothy Gower. It was an auspicious year for aviation pioneers: Claude Grahame-White, who trained at Louis Bleriot’s flying school, had made the first night flight; Halley’s Comet made its closest approach to earth; C.S. Rolls made the first round trip flight over the English Channel; and Walter Brookins, flying a Wright biplane over Atlantic City, New Jersey, became the first person to fly to an altitude of one mile.

Pauline Gower’s convent school years helped form her character, fuelling her drive and determination, and establishing her interests and future potential. Sir Robert Gower chose her school with the ‘same degree of determination’ he did most things. His daughter inherited this characteristic, revealed in her ability to push herself and others to achieve results, despite the challenges along the way. She brought her ready smile to most situations, smoothing the path of resistance at just the right moment. Pauline also inherited a strong political awareness and drive from her father but brought her own skills and sensitivity to issues and circumstances as required. Robert Gower wanted both his daughters to have a solid education, unusual for the time, and chose Beechwood Sacred Heart School in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

After leaving school and enduring a London season which ‘bored her to tears’, Pauline knew she wanted to direct her own future:

‘At 19 my thoughts turned to flying and I decided to do it seriously. I was convinced that aviation was a profession with a future and determined to earn my living and make my career a paying proposition.’

Pauline gave violin lessons to ‘unsuspecting’ pupils to pay for flying lessons and met Amy Johnson and Dorothy Spicer at Stag Lane Aero Club in north London – she and Dorothy soon formed a successful partnership, as pilot and ground-breaking engineer, and set up the first all-women taxi business. Six summers and 33,000 passengers later, as part of the Crimson Fleet, Campbell Black’s British Empire Air Display, British Hospitals’ Air Pageant show and their own Air Trips Ltd joy-riding business, Pauline had clocked up more than 2,000 hours. By 1939 and the looming prospect of war, she was the perfect person to lead the inaugural section of the Women’s Section of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA).
This then is her legacy during the Second World War and to women in aviation – she truly believed that every woman should learn to fly. Pauline Gower MBE certainly enabled the ATA women pilots to fly Anything to Anywhere, from Tiger Moths to Wellingtons, Hurricanes to their firm favourite, the Spitfire.

You can preorder on The History Press website at https://bit.ly/3OlUggl or the longer link is https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/pauline-gower-pioneering-leader-of-the-spitfire-women/9780750996822/

Also available from Amazon.

 

Jackie Moggridge TV series of Spitfire Girl announced

It has been a long road to get here, six years in fact, but at last it looks like it is going to happen! 
TV producer Jackie Wetherill has just announced, “We are all

Candy Adkins, daughter of Jackie Moggridge, with TV producer Jackie Wetherill

signed up now – Jackie Moggridge TV series being produced. It will encompass her life in ATA, through to Burma.”
A scriptwriter will start next month on all the accumulated research material then she will commence on the script. More news to follow soon.

You read it here first dear Solent Aviatrix follower and how delighted I am to bring you this wonderful breaking news.

Spitfire Girl – My Life in the Air by Jackie Moggridge

International Women’s Month Jewel In The Aviatrix Crown

Jackie Moggridge Sweetheart Brooch in support of Royal British Legion. Brooch Certificate.

Throughout 2020 many charities have struggled to raise funds during the pandemic lock down. The Royal British Legion is one charity that has put their creative minds to work and today are launching a Sweetheart Brooch.

This jewel is inspired by Jackie Moggridge and chosen for International Women’s Month 2021. It is being sold to raise money to help support RBL veterans. The pretty design encapsulates Jackie’s personality, she really was a sweetheart.

Jackie Moggridge Sweetheart Brooch International Women’s Month 2021

Jackie’s daughter Candy Adkins says, “I think it is great. Not only is it raising money for the Royal British Legion but it is truly feminine and encourages women to be drawn into the story. She would have loved helping to inspire women to fly and helping a good cause too.”

Jackie Moggridge Sweetheart Brooch presentation box.

Click on this link to Jackie Moggridge page to learn more about this remarkable woman.

Click on this link to go to the Royal British Legion website to buy this brooch for your sweetheart or simply to treat yourself.

Flags Out For Stella and Virtual 75th Flag Lowering For ATA

Stella Rutter – Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust pennant

The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust have produced this pennant of Stella Rutter, along with pennants of many other war time workers who made Spitfires, to acknowledge in this unique way the contribution this ‘great generation’ made.

Spitfire Makers logo

A large number of volunteers, from the following organisations – Solent Sky Museum, Southampton City Archives, Shirley Local History Society, Friends of the Old Cemetery, Southampton, and the Vicar of West End – have all been working in association with Dave Key, Volunteer Historian at Hursley Park.

John Hughes and son Ivor Hughes pennant – Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust

Dave is author of the superb Supermariners website. Collectively, they have rediscovered and recorded the names of the men and women who were the Spitfire Makers.

Hats off to all those volunteers for their hard work to commemorate those 1940s spitfire makers.

Read more about Stella Rutter by visiting her page on this site.

Meanwhile, due to this year’s pandemic health safety measures, the annual commemoration of the flag lowering ceremony of the closure of the Air Transport Auxiliary organisation, will take place ‘virtually’ on Zoom.

ATA Ferry Pool at Hamble. Taken at the end of the war and closure of the Hamble unit. Jackie Moggridge, Peggy Lucas and Mary (Wilkins) Ellis are identified. Photo supplied by Candy Adkins.

The ATA Association is to be congratulated for finding a way to acknowledge this significant date, on 30th November, using 2020 technology.

ATAA says, “This event has been made possible by the kind initiative of Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon GCB CBE FRAeS. Sir Michael was Chief of the Air Staff and now, in his retirement, is, inter alia, Chairman of the English Speaking Union (ESU) Lincolnshire Branch and Chairman of the Trustees of the International Bomber Command Centre just outside Lincoln. He will be our host for this special occasion and will introduce the event with some words about the RAF’s links to the ATA.”

75 years ago on that day, the ATA Flag was lowered for the last time at White Waltham airfield by First Officer Audrey Drummond-Sale-Barker.

 

 

Candy Adkins live talk to RAF Histories about Jackie Moggridge

Spitfire Heroes Exhibition at RAF Museum. Candy Adkins and Angela Riddle frame the Jackie Moggridge exhibit.

Solent Aviatrix has been contacted by Candy Adkins, daughter of wartime Air Transport Auxiliary pilot Jackie Moggridge, to let people know about her next broadcast when she will be speaking about her amazing Spitfire pilot mother.

Candy says, “I have been asked to do a live talk for the RAF Museums called RAF Histories, please see the link below. My talk is on Wednesday 15^th July at 11a.m.

The link is available now and will be activated at the time of the live broadcast.”

Spitfire Heroes Exhibition at the RAF Museum. Jackie Moggridge is the only woman in the exhibition.
Photo taken by her daughter Candy Adkins.

Candy has given a talk before at the RAF Cosford Museum.

Spitfire Girl – My Life in the AIr by Jackie Moggridge

It proved to be so popular and so well received that she has been invited back again.

When you click the link to the talk on that site on 15^th July, the link will connect you directly to the Zoom meeting.  It helps if you have Zoom downloaded already.

Live broadcast link to RAF Museums RAF Histories talks:

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/whats-going-on/events/RAFStories-Talks/

 Something not to be missed!

VE Day 75 Locked Down – Unlisted ATA Men Remembered

Jitterbug Jivers, Lee High Street, D-Day 70. Copyright Anne Grant.

What was normal is no more. Life may not return to the norm we knew for months or years.

Stay at Home NHS Keyworkers Rainbow

Covid-19 cancellations of planned events includes V.E. Day 75, rightly so.

There will be no dancing in the lock down empty streets on 7 May this year. The planned Victory in Europe  VE75 celebrations are on hold. There will be valiant ‘virtual’ celebrations to honour those who didn’t survive and those who did but are no longer with us.

Just as the Second World War came to an end, the Covid-19 pandemic will also eventually end. Much is being sacrificed by so many during this health crisis. Sadly, far too many are making the ultimate sacrifice. It can only be hoped that each life lost will be named and remembered in some way.

D-Day 75 at Southwick Winston Churchill

Similarly over the years, efforts have been made for all deceased WW2 service personnel to be officially commemorated somewhere. Yet it still remains that some had their war time role incorrectly classified. This may be the case with four men who lost their lives in a so-called ‘friendly fire’ accident off the Devon coast.

In January 2020, the National Archives (NA) opened up previously classified documents locked away for over 75 years.

One such record reveals that the four men died on 15 February 1942 in an air crash off Plymouth, while serving with the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA).

A year after the incident the deceased were identified in The Times newspaper report of the official inquiry as being with British Overseas Airways Corporation (B.O.A.C) That may explain why the men were not listed in E.C. Cheesman’s official history of the ATA , ‘Brief Glory.’

The mistake is not surprising because when the ATA was formed, it was attached to BOAC. In researching some of the women pilots who are remembered on this Solent Aviatrix website, I have seen war time correspondence between ATA and BOAC in which the latter is asking ATA, ‘is the deceased pilot with ATA or BOAC?’

So even BOAC Administration Section were not sure. Although both organisations had striven to be well-oiled machines, that aim was not always achieved in the confusion and chaos of war time. In fairness to both organisations, that was possibly the case with First Officer Richard John Williamson, Second Officer Hubert France Parker, Captain John Alexander Stuart Hunter and Flight Engineer Horace Reginald Spicer.

The tragedy happened when their aircraft was returning to Bournemouth Airport (RAF Hurn) from RAF Cairo, having flown from Hurn to Egypt three weeks before. The Liberator was shot down by a Spitfire off the Eddystone Lighthouse. G-AGDR (AM 918) was mistaken for an incoming enemy aircraft. On board were five other men who also died that day.

D-Day 75 Southwick Revival Army Air Force Broadcasting Unit

The NA record identified the other five as Lieutenant Vine (US Army), Colonel Griffiths (US Army), Brigadier Norris (US Army), Captain Robert Humphrey Page (BOAC) and Harold E. Bell (BOAC).

The Times reported some contradictions to this. The newspaper stated that C.L.M.Vine as serving with RNR (UK) and Brigadier Frederick Morris (not Norris) serving with RAOC (UK).

Which is correct, the National Archives record or The Times air correspondent? Given this confusion, are the four ATA men actually BOAC as previously believed?

An indicator to the correct facts may be that the NA has also opened up this year another two records kept closed for 75 years, records which identify two more pilots as serving with ATA. They also were omitted from ‘Brief Glory’ or ‘Forgotten Pilots,’ just like Williamson, Parker, Hunter and Spicer were not listed.

D-Day Revival D-Day 75 at Southwick Paratrooper and Spitfire

Why does any of this matter all these years later? It may matter to their descendants.

They may like to know that their ancestor served in the Second World War with the Air Transport Auxiliary, an organisation which has gained increasing admiration and respect with the passage of time.

We will remember them on ‘virtual’ VE Day 75.

Staying at home for Britain

Stay Safe. Stay at home for Britain.

World Women’s Day 2020 – Jessie Fawsitt first Civil Air Guard

Jessie Fawsitt. Civil Air Guard No.1 of U.K.

Alice Jessie Fawsitt was an aviation pioneer in a quiet, unassuming way. She became Britain’s first Civil Air Guard in 1938. This was not planned by Jessie, more a case of serendipity, being in the right place at the right time.

The right place – was Portsmouth Aerodrome, which just happened to be where Jessie was working for the now legendary Nevil Shute Norway at Airspeed Aviation. In itself, that was a lucky break for any young woman in her secretarial career.

The right time – was being first in the queue of Portsmouth Aero Club members to sign up for the C.A.G. scheme.

The third element of luck in Jessie’s registration as C.A.G. No 1, was that Sir Charles Rose of Portsmouth Aero Club managed to register his keen members for the national scheme, long before all other flying clubs in the country did.

Of course, somebody had to be the first Civil Air Guard member in the United Kingdom, but Jessie was completely bemused as to why the honour should fall to her.

She was a little uncomfortable with the publicity and with meeting the V.I.P.s who descended on the airfield to congratulate the Portsmouth C.A.G.s.

Jessie’s life story spans across the world to Australia.

Jessie Fawsitt with Mr. R. Dismore, B.O.A.C. Comet Engineering Manager

She circumnavigated the globe in her peace-time career with British Overseas Airways Corporation as Public Relations Manager, another ‘First’ for a woman.

This hard working lady left behind fascinating diaries of a bygone age, when she passed away.

A committed church goer, she is no doubt wearing wings of a different kind now.

From humble beginnings to flying the world, Miss Fawsitt made her mark on aviation history. A daughter of Portsmouth, she deserves recognition for her unique achievements.

In her own words Jessie says, “I owe a great deal to Amy Johnson and the pioneers, who inspired me to take up flying. Pauline Gower and Dorothy Spicer – two great women pioneers of flying – arranged for young enthusiasts, of which I was one, to have Associate Membership of the exclusive FORUM club in London, and they and other famous aviators gave lectures and made it possible for us to meet them.”

Go to Jessie Fawsitt’s page to learn more about her.

Remembrance Day – Second World War Fly Girls Movie Trailer

FlyGirls movie trailer by Red Door Films

Red Door Films aim to get a movie made which reminds the younger generations of the role played by women pilots during World War Two.

This trailer features some of the women pilots in the British Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA).

Also featured is American pilot Jackie Cochran who brought some of her best women pilots to the UK to join ATA.

Poppies Wave at Fort Nelson, Portsmouth, England

She then returned to the USA to create the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Some of these courageous women died in service. Remember them.

View the movie trailer by clicking on this link to Fly Girls.

Fantastic New Look ATA Museum Website Launched

ATA Museum website image. Courtesy of Maidenhead Heritage Museum.

The Maidenhead Heritage Centre has done some splendid work by adding a wealth of resources to their Air Transport Auxiliary pages on a tremendous new website. Congratulations to web master Matthew.

Check out what is available – from the ATA Ferry Pilots Log Books collection, to an impressive Photographic Section, from a Personnel Database, to an Online Archive.

The photo above is one example – Wing Walking with a difference! My thanks to Maidenhead Heritage Museum for permission to use it here.

The Museum website is the ‘Go To’ site for Researchers of ATA history and for all ATA Admirers.

Follow this link to Air Transport Auxiliary Museum and Archive.