Lost Voices

[Guest]

I have been reading a book on and off now for a few months, mainly as I leave it on the ship, entitled Lost Voices of the Royal Navy 1914-1945. There is actually quite a series of these books and I like them as I can read a bit when I go to bed as it is in small self told stories.

They are all a fascinating insight into life in our armed forces during the war but this one book has just amazed me over and over again. The thing that has just caught my attention particularly was a story by a lady in the Air Transport Auxilliary (ATA). The matter of fact way in which she relates the life of delivering aircraft all around the country during the Second World War is amazing and in particular the way in which she describes the handling characteristics of different aircraft.

If you haven't done so already and you get the chance, read one of these books, they are well worth it. Some of the convoy stories cannot but get to you and the courage and bravery demonstrated by such as the guys in destroyers and corvettes is staggerring but the lady in the ATA just put such a human perspective on it all I couldn't help but think of Barry collecting one of the aircraft she delivered!! She was still doing it up until 1969 and had flown over 120 different aircraft.

[Guest]

thanks for bringing these books to light Richard. I did a quick search on Amazon and found Lost Voices of the Royal Air Foce

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0340838132/202-3802172-8764653?v=glance&n=266239&s=books&v=glance

and the one you have:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0340838140/202-3802172-8764653?v=glance&n=266239&s=books&v=glance

very reasonably priced as well and to be honest i have not read a book before i go to bed in about 5 years. Something i used to do every night up until then so i hope these books will bring that back to me.

thanks again Richard

[Guest]

War has all to often been a wholely mens domain...in everyday life and in times of turmoil we forget how valuable and essential da ladies are.

Lets hear it for the girls......You can start clapping now..

[Guest]

WW2 woulda lasted less than 30minutes if the girls woz in charge.....

theyda spankd Adolf into another dimention.

Ladies woulda pointed out that the moustache just doesnt work....end of story.

[Guest]

The great beauty of them is that they are so easy to read. They are a great way to get back in to reading if, like me, your lifestyle doesn't give you much of an opportunity anymore.

[wonwinglo]

Richard that would almost certainly have been written by Lettice Curtis,a well known member of the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary ) which had their headquarters at White Waltham airfield during WW2,the skill and devotion that these pilots gave under such difficult conditions was beyond the call of duty,for example imagine delivering a Short Stirling from the factory to somewhere in Scotland ? with no navigational aids,in bad weather and most of all with a brief booklet outlining the aircrafts characteristics,called 'Pilots Notes' that ladies name was Joan Hughes,small in stature but capable of delivering any front line aircraft at a moments notice.

These people were the cream,sadly all of the records for the ATA were burnt without ceremony,nobody knows why ? but the name of the ATA lives on.

Further reading-'Brief Glory' vintage and out of print,'Forgotton Pilots'

I have in fact met the wonderful lady author,at a talk given by the Royal Aeronautical Society in Coventry some time ago.

[Guest]

This particular tale was by First Officer Diana Barnato Walker who went on to marry Wing Commander Derick Walker. He unfortunately died after only 18 months of marriage in an air crash at Hendon after the war.

One of the things that particularly made me smile was her description of flying a Walrus. Apparently the undercarriage was retracted manually and was a major effort. As the plane was so slow anyway and the undercarriage only lost it another couple of knots she didn't bother retracting it!!!! All great stuff.

[Guest]

Wonderful gals, permitted to fly four engined aircraft, except flying-boats in case they couldnt get ashore after landing (due to water conditions) as other crew members may have been male and they may have been afloat overnight !!!!!!!! Tut tut. I presume the lady with the Walrus was flying alone as it was single engined and didnt need a crew. Lots of the delivery flights were flown solo (or jam-packed with returning pilots.)

[Guest]

Exactly right Duncan, this was all described exactly as you say with the girls not being allowed to fly large flying boats for just that reason.

The Walrus's were flown solo and apparently they were such a clumsy thing bouncing down the runway that the column used to belt her in the chest as it went over the bumps!

[wonwinglo]

Just found another ATA book here 'Forgotton Pilots'

Did not know that one about the flying boat deliveries.

This is a very compulsive subject,the more that you read about it the more you want to know.

ATA survivors like WW.1 fighter pilots must be getting a bit thin on the ground now.

[Guest]

What an amazing subject for research and modelling !!! Id love to meet one of those gals and have a chat !!!! Deep respect and admiration to them all