They were crop dusters and debutantes, college girls and performers in flying circuses—all of them trained as pilots. Because they were women, they were denied the chance to fly when the United States entered the Second World War. But Great Britain, desperately fighting for survival, would let anyone transport warplanes. As a result, 25 young aviators bolted for England in 1942, becoming the first American women to command military aircraft.
These “spitfires” lived like women decades ahead of their time. Risking their lives in one of the deadliest jobs of the war, they ferried barely tested new fighters and bombers to air bases and returned shot-up wrecks for repair, never knowing what might go wrong until they were high in the sky. It was exciting, often terrifying work. Many ferry pilots died in crashes or made spectacular saves. The pilots broke new ground off duty as well, shocking their hosts with thoroughly modern behavior. Author Becky Aikman highlights the stories of nine of the women who served, drawing on unpublished diaries, letters, and records, along with her own interviews.
Her book Spitfires: The American Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger During World War II (Bloomsbury Publishing) is available for purchase.
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