Subject: ?? Wasps flew Hurricanes and Spits??
From: "Emmanuel Gustin"
Date: 12/20/03 2:40 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

"vincent p. norris" wrote in message
.. .

I find that hard to believe. Anyone know if the WASPS flew Huricanes
and Spits? If so, what were the circumstances?

Not quite sure what your question is. If you are wondering
why American WASPS would be flying British fighters,
then the answer must be that before Jackie Cochrane joined
the WAFS and leader became the commander of the WASP,
she spent some time in the British ATA. For about a year
and a half, a group of American women volunteers (the
organisation began before Pearl Harbour) flew for the
ATA. Some stayed with the ATA until the end of the war.

As to whether these women flew high-performance fighters,
certainly, and bombers (much heavier on the controls) as
well.

--
Emmanuel Gustin
Emmanuel.Gustin -rem@ve- skynet dot be
Flying Guns Page: http://users.skynet.be/Emmanuel.Gustin/



Many of these woman were civilian pilots in the 1930's and had a good number of
hours when the war came. Many were older woman. I remember one bringing in a
replacement Marauder to Pontoise below miniums. She looked like my mother. But
the 1930's was a time of depression and it took a lot of money to fly. Most of
these woman came from rather afluent backgrounds to afford fllying in those
terrible depression years. Bless them all.

Regards,

Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer