Female ferry pilots
 

Just got back from Shoreham Airshow, and I am now confused. I had understood from various sources that female ferry pilots during the Second World War were not given any ammunition. This afternoon, the commentator was talking about various shoot-downs scored by women. Can anyone clear this one up?

(Has to be said that the commentator insisted that a Hercules with straight prop blades and underwing tanks was a 'J' :\ ).

I have read quite a lot of books about ferrying during the war and don't remember reading of any shoot-downs by male or female ferry pilots. I would imagine that the rules would be that as they were civilians and not trained, no ammo should be fitted. I can well imagine that this was not strictly adhered to.
Quite prepared to be proven wrong.

Mike W

Commentators do come up with some howlers. Maybe that deserves a thread of it's own. 'Stupid things commentators say' It never happened otherwise it would have been well publicised by now. Come to think of it I never even remember reading about a ferry pilot being intercepted and shot down.

Apart from the Russians plenty of women have shot down aircraft in the WW2. They were in the anti aircraft batteries!

I once read an excellent book by lettice Curtis who was an ATA pilot. She finished the war with several hundred types in her logbook, but no combat.

lauretta foy, of eddie foy and the seven little foys, she was the smallest in this vaudeville family of the 20's and 30's. lauretta ferried hundreds of aircraft across the atlantic. after the war she became the first western woman helicopter pilot and worked for bell helicopters for many years.

a great lady, i hope that she is still around, if so, hi lauretta.

graeme gillies :) :)