Just Finished Reading: Spitfire Women of World War II by Giles Whittell (FP: 2007) [280pp] 

It was a fight even before the fighting had started. From the very beginning of the conflict the Air Ministry knew that the supply of aircraft of all types in a timely manner was vital to the war effort. But the idea that these aircraft could be delivered, flown, by women was unthinkable. Fortunately for the female pilots themselves desperate times call for apparently desperate measures. Naturally it was never going to be quite that simple. For starters the women pilots would need to have flying hours under their belts far in excess of their male counterparts – at least to begin with. Naturally they would need to fly with a perfect record – the fear of a single crash landing causing the cancelation of the whole effort was a real one – and naturally they would be restricted to the most basic trainer aircraft. Oh, and a few other things: the women would be required to wear skirts, no matter how impractical and, naturally, they would receive 70-80% of their male counterpart's wages. 

This was what the original female pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) were up against. But at least they got to fly and to assist with the war effort in an immediately useful and practical way – plus it was, once some of the stranger restrictions were lifted or modified, fun. Starting with the most basic of basic trainers, it wasn’t long before operational needs required that they fly larger, faster and eventually, multi-engine aircraft. More than a few lusted after piloting the latest fighters – Hurricanes and especially Spitfires – but it took quite a long time and much persuading before that happened. Once fast fighters were at last on the cards it wasn’t long that logic and need (again) led to the women being authorised to deliver two engine and then four engine bombers to front line commands. But it was the fighters and, most especially, the spitfire in particular that many of the women loved. It was, they said, designed for them. Many would remember those experiences their entire lives. 

Covering much the same ground as my previous read on the ATA (Hurricane Girls – The Inspirational True Story of the Women who Dared to Fly by Jo Wheeler) I thought this was a better look at both the organisation itself and the women who served there. Overall, this had more heft, more gravitas and more depth than my previous read so (naturally) I enjoyed this rather more. The author gave a more solid background to the women involved – from all classes (eventually!) and from across the Empire, Occupied Europe and the US, plus a few other notables. The author also extended the narrative into the early jet age which was interesting in itself. Definitely worth a read for a host of reasons – not least the struggle of more than competent women to be taken seriously be the authorities – and therefore recommended as an example of an all too often overlooked aspect of the Battle of Britain.