These lady's are our heros two .and I thank each of you with all my heart for all you did at that time of war..you all are very beautiful and that's the reason you all are my heros...our father in heaven be with All of you. Thank you all my lady's for what you all did .and did it well
One story my dad told me was he was flying in his Spitfire , coming in to land at an airfield , the aircraft before him was a Lancaster which came in on a tight turn to immediately level out and touch down almost at the same time , in a perfect 3 point landing . Anyway he taxied up and parked near by and watched as a girl about 20 came out and jumped straight into a waiting car to be whisked away . ATA . I wonder if it was any of these ladies. Also they look so beautiful , women in the 1940's just look so nice , uniform or not .
Amazing Ladies.....thank you.....this should be shown in every school and broadcast on TV and online channels.....it has taken way too long to recognize these brave ladies...
What an awe inspiring story. It's a joy to see these lovely lady pilots who flew for the cause and excelled themselves. My pride and respect to all of them and a huge thank you .
Hey Hollywood! We know you've run out of believable female hero's....well here's a few for you. Would 100% go to see this at the cinema, even it it only catalogued the training of one character from training plane to Spitfire....IN THREE MONTHS! Astounding.
What an inspiring story. It is good to read that the women of the ATA were respected and well treated, unlike the WASPs in America who performed the same service but were treated shamefully. I am a pilot and so is my wife. I give thanks to the women of the ATA for giving inspiration to, and leading the way for the women who followed.
They weren't all treated well. A number of women reported that the plane had been 'got at,' by different members of the maintenance crews, who hated that women go to fly. If you read a lot of this subject, you read these things - and are left with the horrible thought that some of the deaths may have been due to 'friendly' action.
Also, quite a number of women who applied to fly, had to get medical checks. One particular sleaze of a doctor made them completely disrobe and was quite gross. The English girls did not feel they had the right to make a fuss, but the American Jacquie Cochrane, who began the WASPS, brought American women over and they were told they had to be naked and IMMEDIATELY told Jacquie to stop it. And SHE DID! Made a hell of a racket and got the doctor moved and away from the Commonwealth girls, too. Jacquie had thought she would be automatically in the top ranks and was VERY pushy, which didn't make her welcome. She was frozen out, as the British do better than anyone else and went home to start her own. She was very confident, wealthy, self made wealth - but she also married big money - and assumed she would be high ranked, very respected. But she offended too many Brits.
I have a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye and the deepest respect in my heart... I have had so many positive women role models in my life including my last partner who was the making of me... these woman rock :)
I sure hope I can find more of these documentaries honoring the lesser known and seldom recognized men and women of that era ! God Blessed the World In It's Greatest Need With Them and Their Example ! God Bless The Greatest Generation.
What a programme. Magnificent women. Freydis Sharland with Pre-Raphaelite beauty in her youth yet still possessed of elegance in old age. Enduring respect for them all.
Thanks for that MrBighealey. Appalling treatment of Freydis by appalling people. I'm reminded of T.E. Lawrence's treatment when he entered Shepheards Hotel in Cairo, along with the Bedouin lad, when he'd emerged from his desert ordeal. There was no doubt some cinematographic licence involved but it showed the way people used to behave.
En Chile deberíamos tener un Spitfire, en el Museo Aeronáutico de Santiago, en honor a Margot Duhalde, única piloto Chilena que participó en la 2gm y para la RAF. Merece ese reconocimiento y más.
A wonderful and deserved tribute to the women of the ATA. Grit, finesse and an indomitable spirit. I had happy tears while watching this beautiful and meaningful piece. Congratulations.
I'm studying to be a history professor, emphasizing in war history. These lovely ladies will be a big portion of my classes. Including the American WASPs and the Night Witches of Russia. Nobody will ever convince me or my students that women can't perform in the clouds (or anywhere else for that matter) just as well, if not better, than any man. Furthermore, I have been documenting the stories of modern female combat pilots. Research done by the United States Air Force found that women usually perform better in the air then men do. And it makes sense why. Women have a smaller build then we men have, that means during high G-force maneuvers they are much better at keep blood flowing to their brains. Studies have shown that a man will black out in a high G corner much faster than a woman will. Some of the top combat pilots in the USA are females. And I if may say so...wow these ladies have stolen my heart! They also scare me! There's no way on God's green Earth that I would ever want meet them in the skies as their opponent. I would be blessed to be able to fly along side them.
Well, I am one of the many ignorant Chileans who don't know what our countrymen and countrywomen have done and achieved for the world and that is a shame I would have to carry and bear it. That being said, to learn what this remarkable woman, mrs. DUHALDE, has done is a surprise, a reason to be proud, but also a reason to ponder how linked we all are. I guess she was one of the offsprings of the many Basque-French immigrants to the south of Chile (which, was already a melting pot, with a concoction of mapuche, spaniards, germans, swiss and whathaveyou), and she, again I am guessing, must have felt the call from the land of her ancestors and off she went to fight for it. Remarkable is a word that, springing to mind first, is totally insufficient to engulf the courage, madness (for going to a war a world away from us), determination, rescilience, intelligence and sheer guts of doña Margot DUHALDE. Lest we forget.
Un amigo ex Piloto de la Fach la conocía y estuvo hace poco tiempo con ella, a sus mas de 90 años le ofreció llevarla en auto a su casa, ella le explicó que no era necesario porque ella andaba en el suyo y manejado por ella.
Margot Duhalde was nicknamed Chile. She used to argue a lot with a Polish girl flyer. They did not get on. Both spoke broken English and used to correct each other, which often made other girls grin. One conversation was roughly, "How much petrols are left?" The other said, very condescendingly, "You say, How MANY petrols are left?" These two were always squabbling. I can't think of the Polish girl's name, at the moment but it is said that Chile and the Polish girl are the only women who flew in a dogfight over England. Both arrived to land, at the same time, neither would let the other in front - and in front of everyone, they kept bouncing in front of each other. I don't think anyone said who won!
..in a war where life was uncertain, this type of job was seen as being a 'good war'. These girls had the option to work in dangerous, dank, smoggy factories on 12-18 hour shifts, or to fly about in relative safety. The male pilots had nasty Luftwaffe pilots to deal with, so don't make this out to be more than it was...This was a job of privilege, and, from what the 'gels' had to say, bloody good fun! If many young ladies want inspiration, then look to the nurses, or the female spies, or those slaving away in munition factories...jobs without glam, and more danger
@@binkyboobosh1 You realize that they were not armed and could encounter the enemy? They were very brave. Yes it was a glamorous job but they had the same quick reflexes as the men. It was a young men's & women's war. I feel for the men and women of Bletchley park, no recognition until recent years. The Y Station women could and were strafed.
@@maryrafuse3851 But, by and large, they weren't killed flying. Working in a factory was much more dangerous..not just from bombing but also from the use of heavy and unfamiliar machinery. Also, journeys to and from work were dangerous, especially during raids and blackouts. Bletchley was reserved for a particular class and the women involved were largely employed in clerical and interpretation jobs. RAF stations typically had WAAF officers and ranks and these were regularly bombed and the men and women shared the same risks...and respect to them. The reality was that there were those who had good and bad wars, and Bletchley and ATA roles were reserved for the privileged....12 hour shifts in ammo factories or flying Spits...not in battle...I wonder which role would have been most coverted.
I love these ladies, so funny and so matter-of-fact. They sometimes sound like little old ladies talking about what a lovely time they had when they were 'gels', but they're talking about amazing achievements. Flying a new type of aircraft based on being passed out on something similar plus a page of notes is extraordinary.
I teach Business English in Italy and use this video in lessons, I've never once had a student who said "Yeah, I know about this." I want to thank you for uploading this. Exceptional story, truly inspirational.
i came across this mob from the miracle testimony of vera dowling when she was flying for the ATA. amazing testimony how she survived . she ended up in canada after the war . they could fly a heap of different planes .
Mum delivered spitfires to RAF manston...she once passed a dog fight but delivery planes where not armed and anyway thy was non combatant....I bet if she had ammo she would of had a go.
I think you're labouring under the misapprehension that I'm the sort of Neanderthal who doesn't love and respect the strength of woman... I've had so many solid woman role models in my life including my wife who was the making of me...I love your comment and your mum must have had a lot of "packet" :)
It always seemed to me to be such a shame that all these amazing planes from WWII were scrapped. And everyone I've ever heard talk about the Spitfire, talks about how wonderful and responsive to fly it was. I always wonder why the private planes afterward weren't as good. Such amazing women! Talk about trendsetters!
I was reading the lists of Lancasters, etc and what happened to each. The word SCRAPPED made be cringe, and feel quite tearful. These planes could have been bought for the cost of the scrap metal. It astounded me that so few men coming from a farm, didn't buy 'THEIR' Spit. And imagine so many of them around, now! And a pretty good investment. Even if they'd bought it and covered it in vaseline and shoved it in a barn!
Brilliant! Thanks for uploading and sharing with everyone! This harks back to an age where honour and duty were taken seriously, unlike the current "Age of Entitlement" we're living in! Thanks again!
I concur with this statement. Also, these women had grit, determination and strength. They defied their stereotype. Hopefully, today's stereotyping of females to be infantile pathetic Instagram babes and Barbies will fade and girls and women will again learn to express their own strong, determined and brave characteristics, expressing high moral standards, self-confidence and values of decency and self-respect, like the women of the ATA and other women who fought during the War.
This has been a marvellous video. My Patriotism, although strong, is entirely outweighed by to Patriotism of these Ladies, even Heroes who were prepared to fly alone, whether a crew was normal or not, and do such a wonderful job of it. As was said, Flying is relatively easy, it's the take-off and the landing that are hard. I wish these women had been more recognised, as in awards.
HI Nick, there is a book called Codename Verity she and you might like. You should probably read it together since some of it is a little heavy and is written for young adults. I loved the story and the window it provided into this aspect of WW2. Cheers!
fue mi ídola desde pequeño, conocí su historia a principios de los años 70 gracias a mi abuela que me contaba historias de ella, Margot Duhalde fue increiblemente valiente, debe ser la piloto latinoamericana que voló la mayor cantidad de modelos diferentes de aeronaves, mas de 60, esto incluidos pilotos hombres y mujeres, ya que la argentina Maureen Dunlop que también voló en el A.T.A. piloteó 38 modelos diferentes.
These women truly represent the greatest generation so very well. Amazing ability and so very lovely. I wonder how many service men from the Commonwealth and USA fell hopelessly in love?
Oh more comments for me to leave! I agree with you mam! The Spitfire must certainly be a woman's plane! I say that because like you ladies, the Spitfire, she is a beautiful graceful angel! We men should be honored to share the skies with you.
One sad thing is that ATA pilots weren't trained in instrument flight. The idea being that they weren't going to be tasked with flights through IMC weather, so providing the extra training would just slow the process of getting them qualified. Whoever came up with that idea hadn't really thought it through, or had never gone outside on a typical miserable British summers day and looked up :-)))
Fantastic Women, a good example for the future wars. Courage, spirit of adventure and decision on the "Black Hour" of the british dangerous skies ... Summer 1940. Fernando Dias - Senior History Teacher
Go Girls!! Then and now...Just brilliantly courageous and spirited! Male envy here..and I fervently hate and despise arrogant male chauvinism and vile misogyny! Watch and learn young women of today...sleeping is for dreamers, so wake up and go do as they all did! Bravo Ladies. Xx
... no kidding... are you for real? do you suffer some sort of cognitive impairment? Or do you just have a penchant for stating the obvious... I personally actually watched this post and you paste a comment about the very subject matter therein... STOP IT... GET REAL!!!... My wife, daughter's and I are laughing so hard at your observation we're almost wetting ourselves :)
Actually, the US women *did* fly all the aircraft in the US inventory. However, they were shut out of veterans benefits or recognition of their contributions until 40+ yrs. later. Despicable.
Amazing and inspiring documentary. I wonder why they ommited instrument flying training , and did not install radios in the aircraft which were being ferried. Looks as though the pilots were being exposed to avoidable risk while flying in bad weather.
Ferry movements were complicated by the fact that England was under aerial attack throughout most of the war. It was difficult to relocate major factories, or camouflage them. (The Germans knew where they were, anyway.) With aircraft factories under constant attack, it was vital to get planes out of harm's way as soon as they were flyable. So maintenance units, or Mus, were built, where the fine work (installing armament and radios, and making other minor modifications) could be carried out under safer conditions.
Bloody hell! The more I watch the more I want to climb into a time machine and slap the nonsense out of the men downplaying these ladies! Those fools aren't worthy of breathing the very air these Angels flew through!
Any man that flew combat had to have giant balls. These women have giant ovaries. I never heard about the ATA...heard about "Rosie the Riveter", WAC's and WAVES. What special women the ATA had. They rock!
Only 168 women were in the ATA . There were 800 odd pilots. The men never ever get mentioned and yet they must have delivered the majority of the aircraft. War on men reaches back even into our history. Sad country we are.
I suppose it is obvious that men generally are doing their duties all over the branches during the second world war.....the whole point of this documentary is to also shed some light to what is generally not known to the public......that is that also a lot of women were flying aircraft within the ATA during war time....
If one really thinks about it, the Luftwaffe lost the battle of Britain flying against ladies. Because that it exactly what the Spitfire is in reality.
Don't forget that more German aeroplanes were shot down by Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain than by Spitfires: I know that this is possibly because there were more Hurricanes in the sky than Spitfires, but it is a fact.
The world is at a loss today. These ladies no longer fly on steel wings but now on their own feathered wings in Heaven. Well done ladies! My deepest respect! I hope we can fly the clouds of God's kingdom together one day!
I really didn't know at all about this story, glad to have just discovered,, I feel better when I hear something like, that some goregous, good women, contributed to fight dark forces, for their own country, in the ww2, these crucial years.
@@routeoz02... came from a British requirement for the type, initially powered by an Allison Engine...being of US (North American) manufacturer... subsequently upgraded and then powered by the Merlin 47... built under license by Packard... :)
Plenty of books to start you off. I just read The Hurricane Girls, has a massive bibliography in the back. They did fly into Germany at the towards the end of the war.
Its funny now considering the supposidly enlightened beliefs of today, especially in the American Armed Forces. Today women serve in all combat positions including special operations if they can make it through the grueling courses without any kind of special considerations, in fact many male instructors may make it more difficult for the women candidates believing they shouldn't be there. Personally I believe that women should be allowed to serve in any manner they wish as long as they have the aptitude and ability without any types of special considerations or separate requirements such as reduced physical requirements and most important doesn't pose long term risks to security, efficiency, abilities, and/or unit cohesion. For example I do not believe that women should be allowed into infantry roles at all, possibly special operations because the elite cream of the crop soldiers a few cuts above the average infantrymen even before training combined with the intense long term training might be able to overcome the inherit problems in the regular infantry units deriving of basic human characteristics. In this case the almost instinctual male compulsion to protect, comfort, and rescue females in distress, especially strong drive with Americans. The Russian military felt they had to have women in all positions in War Two including infantry. The female infantry soldier was studied by the soviet military throughout and long after the war and the conclusions were no surprise to the infantry. It was found that units without women suffered less casualties, were more effective and ruthless when necessary, less risk adverse than units with women even units serving side by side. This was determined to be directly related to the forementioned male tendencies as well as a range of other problems including relationships, sex, jealousies, separate physical needs and the like. Directly after War Two the soviet military pulled women from all but support positions not due to physical abilities but due to all the problems impossible to solve short of male only units and this remains to this day. Where I know these issues would not pose unsurmountable problems is in combat aviation. In fact, as competition aerobatics proves beyond intelligent argument or doubt the physiology and physical build of women enable them to withstand higher G loads than men can with skill levels equal to men, perhaps a touch better as women generally have slightly faster reaction times than men all meaning they could be superior to men as fighter pilots. So let them fly combat but pull them from the infantry and like roles. Let them serve in all Naval positions as well including submarines if sex, relationship and jealousy issues can be solved. I personally dont understand why women fought so hard to be "allowed" to be in combat roles as they wete lucky to avoid them and furthermore could serve in the most important roles. Its supply that wins wars. the nation that can supply its feilded military better than the other wins in the long term, period. as war two proved well as the germans had superior everyyhing for much of the war but as america out supplied their troops ten to one or better it didnt matter
Wasp's I thought they were the hornet's devil's without a cause😁😉💪🤘❤ girls, who is this wild and crazy leader if the women's movement (she's a beast) I'm scared to meet her.
Jonathan, you have made a great suggestion! I hope someone in Hollywood is wise enough to ‘seize the day!’ These ladies have contributed significantly to liberty and are true patriots. Well done and thank you!
Amy Johnson was my mother’s cousin, thank you for posting this very important documentary.
What a legend Amy Johnson was. A great shame she was lost over the Thames. RIP
I believe the chap who tried to save her also lost his life.
Such a waste of 2 marvellous people!
These lady's are our heros two .and I thank each of you with all my heart for all you did at that time of war..you all are very beautiful and that's the reason you all are my heros...our father in heaven be with All of you. Thank you all my lady's for what you all did .and did it well
One story my dad told me was he was flying in his Spitfire , coming in to land at an airfield , the aircraft before him was a Lancaster which came in on a tight turn to immediately level out and touch down almost at the same time , in a perfect 3 point landing . Anyway he taxied up and parked near by and watched as a girl about 20 came out and jumped straight into a waiting car to be whisked away . ATA . I wonder if it was any of these ladies.
Also they look so beautiful , women in the 1940's just look so nice , uniform or not .
Yes and they mainly taught an important tles son in equality
Amazing Ladies.....thank you.....this should be shown in every school and broadcast on TV and online channels.....it has taken way too long to recognize these brave ladies...
What an awe inspiring story. It's a joy to see these lovely lady pilots who flew for the cause and excelled themselves. My pride and respect to all of them and a huge thank you .
Yes and they mainly taught an important tles son in equality
How amazing and inspiring these women were. The film is so well done, you get fully engrossed in the subject.
Hey Hollywood! We know you've run out of believable female hero's....well here's a few for you. Would 100% go to see this at the cinema, even it it only catalogued the training of one character from training plane to Spitfire....IN THREE MONTHS! Astounding.
It would have to be made by a British studio; Hollywood has never understood British understatement.
@@Zacharia503 or their own history...have you seen Pearl Harbour?!?
@@yorkipudd1728Gotten in one!
My aunt, Christine Crofts ferried Lancasters in WW2.
What an inspiring story. It is good to read that the women of the ATA were respected and well treated, unlike the WASPs in America who performed the same service but were treated shamefully. I am a pilot and so is my wife. I give thanks to the women of the ATA for giving inspiration to, and leading the way for the women who followed.
They weren't all treated well.
A number of women reported that the plane had been 'got at,' by different members of the maintenance crews, who hated that women go to fly.
If you read a lot of this subject, you read these things - and are left with the horrible thought that some of the deaths may have been due to 'friendly' action.
Also, quite a number of women who applied to fly, had to get medical checks. One particular sleaze of a doctor made them completely disrobe and was quite gross. The English girls did not feel they had the right to make a fuss, but the American Jacquie Cochrane, who began the WASPS, brought American women over and they were told they had to be naked and IMMEDIATELY told Jacquie to stop it. And SHE DID!
Made a hell of a racket and got the doctor moved and away from the Commonwealth girls, too.
Jacquie had thought she would be automatically in the top ranks and was VERY pushy, which didn't make her welcome.
She was frozen out, as the British do better than anyone else and went home to start her own. She was very confident, wealthy, self made wealth - but she also married big money - and assumed she would be high ranked, very respected. But she offended too many Brits.
I have a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye and the deepest respect in my heart... I have had so many positive women role models in my life including my last partner who was the making of me... these woman rock :)
Well said my friend! I share your feelings
Yes and they mainly taught an important tles son in equality
I sure hope I can find more of these documentaries honoring the lesser known and seldom recognized men and women of that era !
God Blessed the World In It's Greatest Need With Them and Their Example !
God Bless The Greatest Generation.
What a programme. Magnificent women. Freydis Sharland with Pre-Raphaelite beauty in her youth yet still possessed of elegance in old age. Enduring respect for them all.
www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/10/freydis-sharland
Thanks for that MrBighealey. Appalling treatment of Freydis by appalling people. I'm reminded of T.E. Lawrence's treatment when he entered Shepheards Hotel in Cairo, along with the Bedouin lad, when he'd emerged from his desert ordeal. There was no doubt some cinematographic licence involved but it showed the way people used to behave.
We should have a movie about these women's unique work that they did during World War II. Greetings from Brazil.
Excellent video and excellent women of the ATA.
An inspiring look into the past and the input by the unsung ladies working in the background. Hats off Girls..
En Chile deberíamos tener un Spitfire, en el Museo Aeronáutico de Santiago, en honor a Margot Duhalde, única piloto Chilena que participó en la 2gm y para la RAF. Merece ese reconocimiento y más.
A wonderful and deserved tribute to the women of the ATA. Grit, finesse and an indomitable spirit. I had happy tears while watching this beautiful and meaningful piece. Congratulations.
I'm studying to be a history professor, emphasizing in war history. These lovely ladies will be a big portion of my classes. Including the American WASPs and the Night Witches of Russia. Nobody will ever convince me or my students that women can't perform in the clouds (or anywhere else for that matter) just as well, if not better, than any man. Furthermore, I have been documenting the stories of modern female combat pilots. Research done by the United States Air Force found that women usually perform better in the air then men do. And it makes sense why. Women have a smaller build then we men have, that means during high G-force maneuvers they are much better at keep blood flowing to their brains. Studies have shown that a man will black out in a high G corner much faster than a woman will. Some of the top combat pilots in the USA are females. And I if may say so...wow these ladies have stolen my heart! They also scare me! There's no way on God's green Earth that I would ever want meet them in the skies as their opponent. I would be blessed to be able to fly along side them.
full of admiration and pride of these wonderful woman.
What an incredible and inspiring story
Lest we forget, The women of the Home front Britain could not of done without them . Respect
A los 97 años falleció Margot Duhalde Sotomayor , piloto chilena que ayudó a la liberación de Francia en la RAF. Vuela alto Margot.
Well, I am one of the many ignorant Chileans who don't know what our countrymen and countrywomen have done and achieved for the world and that is a shame I would have to carry and bear it. That being said, to learn what this remarkable woman, mrs. DUHALDE, has done is a surprise, a reason to be proud, but also a reason to ponder how linked we all are. I guess she was one of the offsprings of the many Basque-French immigrants to the south of Chile (which, was already a melting pot, with a concoction of mapuche, spaniards, germans, swiss and whathaveyou), and she, again I am guessing, must have felt the call from the land of her ancestors and off she went to fight for it. Remarkable is a word that, springing to mind first, is totally insufficient to engulf the courage, madness (for going to a war a world away from us), determination, rescilience, intelligence and sheer guts of doña Margot DUHALDE. Lest we forget.
Santiago, su comentario debiese ir directamente bajo la publicación, más que solo una respuesta al aporte de Alberto.
Un amigo ex Piloto de la Fach la conocía y estuvo hace poco tiempo con ella, a sus mas de 90 años le ofreció llevarla en auto a su casa, ella le explicó que no era necesario porque ella andaba en el suyo y manejado por ella.
Margot Duhalde was nicknamed Chile. She used to argue a lot with a Polish girl flyer. They did not get on. Both spoke broken English and used to correct each other, which often made other girls grin.
One conversation was roughly, "How much petrols are left?"
The other said, very condescendingly, "You say, How MANY petrols are left?"
These two were always squabbling. I can't think of the Polish girl's name, at the moment but it is said that Chile and the Polish girl are the only women who flew in a dogfight over England.
Both arrived to land, at the same time, neither would let the other in front - and in front of everyone, they kept bouncing in front of each other. I don't think anyone said who won!
This is so amazing and inspiring. I wish so many young ladies will watch this and learn from it.
..in a war where life was uncertain, this type of job was seen as being a 'good war'. These girls had the option to work in dangerous, dank, smoggy factories on 12-18 hour shifts, or to fly about in relative safety. The male pilots had nasty Luftwaffe pilots to deal with, so don't make this out to be more than it was...This was a job of privilege, and, from what the 'gels' had to say, bloody good fun! If many young ladies want inspiration, then look to the nurses, or the female spies, or those slaving away in munition factories...jobs without glam, and more danger
thing to remember here is that they were flying fighters in a war zone without ammunition, radio or identification equipment to uk radar
@@tomgauntlestrange All that in itself was a mammoth task.
@@binkyboobosh1 You realize that they were not armed and could encounter the enemy? They were very brave. Yes it was a glamorous job but they had the same quick reflexes as the men. It was a young men's & women's war. I feel for the men and women of Bletchley park, no recognition until recent years. The Y Station women could and were strafed.
@@maryrafuse3851 But, by and large, they weren't killed flying. Working in a factory was much more dangerous..not just from bombing but also from the use of heavy and unfamiliar machinery. Also, journeys to and from work were dangerous, especially during raids and blackouts. Bletchley was reserved for a particular class and the women involved were largely employed in clerical and interpretation jobs. RAF stations typically had WAAF officers and ranks and these were regularly bombed and the men and women shared the same risks...and respect to them. The reality was that there were those who had good and bad wars, and Bletchley and ATA roles were reserved for the privileged....12 hour shifts in ammo factories or flying Spits...not in battle...I wonder which role would have been most coverted.
I love these ladies, so funny and so matter-of-fact. They sometimes sound like little old ladies talking about what a lovely time they had when they were 'gels', but they're talking about amazing achievements. Flying a new type of aircraft based on being passed out on something similar plus a page of notes is extraordinary.
Not a one of them bragged, but simply explained what they did! Magnificent!!
This was just on the BBC. Bloody amazing girls!
I teach Business English in Italy and use this video in lessons, I've never once had a student who said "Yeah, I know about this." I want to thank you for uploading this. Exceptional story, truly inspirational.
You're welcome
i came across this mob from the miracle testimony of vera dowling when she was flying for the ATA. amazing testimony how she survived . she ended up in canada after the war . they could fly a heap of different planes .
So amazing! These women were the bravest, most amazing women. I’m reading a book about this and it’s so good!
These woman not only flew , they flew massive horsepower taildraggers. most men today would shit them self and groundloop in about 20 foot
Kudos to the editors for scrounging up excellent photos and videos of these rare kites!!
Mum delivered spitfires to RAF manston...she once passed a dog fight but delivery planes where not armed and anyway thy was non combatant....I bet if she had ammo she would of had a go.
That is solid gold :)
@@christiankirkwood3402 a lot of people don't fully understand the roll women played
Your point being...?
I think you're labouring under the misapprehension that I'm the sort of Neanderthal who doesn't love and respect the strength of woman... I've had so many solid woman role models in my life including my wife who was the making of me...I love your comment and your mum must have had a lot of "packet" :)
@@christiankirkwood3402 women airforce pilots or "WASP .many don't believe there was female pilots but it took the load off of the combatant airmen
It always seemed to me to be such a shame that all these amazing planes from WWII were scrapped. And everyone I've ever heard talk about the Spitfire, talks about how wonderful and responsive to fly it was. I always wonder why the private planes afterward weren't as good. Such amazing women! Talk about trendsetters!
I was reading the lists of Lancasters, etc and what happened to each. The word SCRAPPED made be cringe, and feel quite tearful.
These planes could have been bought for the cost of the scrap metal. It astounded me that so few men coming from a farm, didn't buy 'THEIR' Spit. And imagine so many of them around, now! And a pretty good investment. Even if they'd bought it and covered it in vaseline and shoved it in a barn!
Brave women and god they look beautiful, Will never be forgotten
Wow. So touching. Great vid. I just loved the little old lady, "I love flying the fast and furious ones."
Margot Duhalde, Maureen Dunlop, que descansen en paz.
I keep coming back to this. These women were beyond inspirational. I assume they have all passed now, I would have loved to have met them.
What wonderful ladies and examples of great strong women.
Thank you
Brilliant! Thanks for uploading and sharing with everyone! This harks back to an age where honour and duty were taken seriously, unlike the current "Age of Entitlement" we're living in! Thanks again!
I concur with this statement. Also, these women had grit, determination and strength. They defied their stereotype. Hopefully, today's stereotyping of females to be infantile pathetic Instagram babes and Barbies will fade and girls and women will again learn to express their own strong, determined and brave characteristics, expressing high moral standards, self-confidence and values of decency and self-respect, like the women of the ATA and other women who fought during the War.
This has been a marvellous video. My Patriotism, although strong, is entirely outweighed by to Patriotism of these Ladies, even Heroes who were prepared to fly alone, whether a crew was normal or not, and do such a wonderful job of it. As was said, Flying is relatively easy, it's the take-off and the landing that are hard. I wish these women had been more recognised, as in awards.
AND Argentina too, Mauren Dunlop
My daughter turns 8 this month. This is definitely going on the #daddydaughter watch list before then.
HI Nick, there is a book called Codename Verity she and you might like. You should probably read it together since some of it is a little heavy and is written for young adults. I loved the story and the window it provided into this aspect of WW2. Cheers!
Loved this!! So inspiring!
Wonderful women... absolutely strong and very brave...great respect from 🇵🇱🕊️🤝
There is an interesting little book called Codename Verity. It's about these young women and what they accomplished.
Margot Duhalde, la piloto chilena que aparece ahi. Acaba de morir hoy. Un orgullo para los chilenos.
fue mi ídola desde pequeño, conocí su historia a principios de los años 70 gracias a mi abuela que me contaba historias de ella, Margot Duhalde fue increiblemente valiente, debe ser la piloto latinoamericana que voló la mayor cantidad de modelos diferentes de aeronaves, mas de 60, esto incluidos pilotos hombres y mujeres, ya que la argentina Maureen Dunlop que también voló en el A.T.A. piloteó 38 modelos diferentes.
Wonderful history. It’s a shame the Australian contribution in men and women couldn’t be acknowledged as well…😢
These women truly represent the greatest generation so very well. Amazing ability and so very lovely. I wonder how many service men from the Commonwealth and USA fell hopelessly in love?
Oh more comments for me to leave! I agree with you mam! The Spitfire must certainly be a woman's plane! I say that because like you ladies, the Spitfire, she is a beautiful graceful angel! We men should be honored to share the skies with you.
I love how modest these lasses are about their not-inconsiderable achievements. A lot of modern women could learn a lot from them.
Not only women but also men. Both sexes are bejng incredibly immature in this day and age
Forgotten Pilots. Lettice Curtis..Fascinating book..
Someone wrote "God Bless The Greatest Generation"! 🤩❤️🤩❤️🤩❤️🤩🙏🏼
One sad thing is that ATA pilots weren't trained in instrument flight. The idea being that they weren't going to be tasked with flights through IMC weather, so providing the extra training would just slow the process of getting them qualified. Whoever came up with that idea hadn't really thought it through, or had never gone outside on a typical miserable British summers day and looked up :-)))
Fantastic Women, a good example for the future wars. Courage, spirit of adventure and decision on the "Black Hour" of the british dangerous skies ... Summer 1940.
Fernando Dias - Senior History Teacher
I never knew the ATA were civilians, God bless them all.
Amazing story incredible women, interesting view of the spitfire as a lady's plane, and two of them got to fly the meteor.
Go Girls!! Then and now...Just brilliantly courageous and spirited! Male envy here..and I fervently hate and despise arrogant male chauvinism and vile misogyny! Watch and learn young women of today...sleeping is for dreamers, so wake up and go do as they all did! Bravo Ladies. Xx
Amazing women, amazing feats. Just don't let your hate of misogyny and male Chauvinism blind you to the 700 or so men who were doing the same thing.
Unlike the U.S. WASP group, the ATA was a "little United Nations," and the pilots were trained to fly everything in the RAF inventory!
... no kidding... are you for real? do you suffer some sort of cognitive impairment? Or do you just have a penchant for stating the obvious... I personally actually watched this post and you paste a comment about the very subject matter therein... STOP IT... GET REAL!!!... My wife, daughter's and I are laughing so hard at your observation we're almost wetting ourselves :)
Actually, the US women *did* fly all the aircraft in the US inventory. However, they were shut out of veterans benefits or recognition of their contributions until 40+ yrs. later. Despicable.
Beautiful young women, tears.
phenomenal women
Amazing and inspiring documentary. I wonder why they ommited instrument flying training , and did not install radios in the aircraft which were being ferried. Looks as though the pilots were being exposed to avoidable risk while flying in bad weather.
Ferry movements were complicated by the fact that England was under aerial attack throughout most of the war. It was difficult to relocate major factories, or camouflage them. (The Germans knew where they were, anyway.) With aircraft factories under constant attack, it was vital to get planes out of harm's way as soon as they were flyable. So maintenance units, or Mus, were built, where the fine work (installing armament and radios, and making other minor modifications) could be carried out under safer conditions.
Thank you for the explanation . Those were tough times for Great Britain 🙏
Bloody hell! The more I watch the more I want to climb into a time machine and slap the nonsense out of the men downplaying these ladies! Those fools aren't worthy of breathing the very air these Angels flew through!
Should be required watching in any WW2 history class or DEI class!
Any man that flew combat had to have giant balls. These women have giant ovaries. I never heard about the ATA...heard about "Rosie the Riveter", WAC's and WAVES. What special women the ATA had. They rock!
Only 168 women were in the ATA . There were 800 odd pilots. The men never ever get mentioned and yet they must have delivered the majority of the aircraft. War on men reaches back even into our history. Sad country we are.
I suppose it is obvious that men generally are doing their duties all over the branches during the second world war.....the whole point of this documentary is to also shed some light to what is generally not known to the public......that is that also a lot of women were flying aircraft within the ATA during war time....
Terrific women part of a terrific generation. We will never see their like again.
First Officer Mardi Gethimg was the only Australian To fly with ATA.
@06:57 Damn. And I mean that with all due respect.
If one really thinks about it, the Luftwaffe lost the battle of Britain flying against ladies. Because that it exactly what the Spitfire is in reality.
Don't forget that more German aeroplanes were shot down by Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain than by Spitfires: I know that this is possibly because there were more Hurricanes in the sky than Spitfires, but it is a fact.
Given a few pages of instructions then told 'go fly it'! In fog, rain and snow. And they did. I believe the last of these heroines died only recently.
So thankful these wonderful ladies were on our side! Well done, mates and a sincere THANK YOU! 🇺🇸
Love the but at the end where she was flying the moth for half an hr and didn’t realize it!
What Beauties! Never could resist a REAL Woman in Uniform....or without one
The world is at a loss today. These ladies no longer fly on steel wings but now on their own feathered wings in Heaven. Well done ladies! My deepest respect! I hope we can fly the clouds of God's kingdom together one day!
AMAZING WOMEN, BRAVE AND BEAUTIFULL.THANK YOU
True hero's!
Amazing ladies
I really didn't know at all about this story, glad to have just discovered,,
I feel better when I hear something like, that some goregous, good women, contributed to fight dark forces, for their own country, in the ww2, these crucial years.
Simply Fantastic 👏
Lovely ladies well done
These ladies were better than most of the men. You'd never see the men thrown into all the different planes without extensive check flights.
Love Love Love X P51 Mustang - Jealous X
Came with a Rolls Royce Merlin engine! That engine saved many a US bomber crew life. Go check!
@@routeoz02... came from a British requirement for the type, initially powered by an Allison Engine...being of US (North American) manufacturer... subsequently upgraded and then powered by the Merlin 47... built under license by Packard... :)
Super
Does anybody know if any of the 'female' ATA pilots were attacked by German aircraft during ww2? I am looking for information for a future project.
Plenty of books to start you off. I just read The Hurricane Girls, has a massive bibliography in the back. They did fly into Germany at the towards the end of the war.
❤️
Mary Ellis, where is the pilot ?? I am the pilot, what a lady !
Its funny now considering the supposidly enlightened beliefs of today, especially in the American Armed Forces. Today women serve in all combat positions including special operations if they can make it through the grueling courses without any kind of special considerations, in fact many male instructors may make it more difficult for the women candidates believing they shouldn't be there.
Personally I believe that women should be allowed to serve in any manner they wish as long as they have the aptitude and ability without any types of special considerations or separate requirements such as reduced physical requirements and most important doesn't pose long term risks to security, efficiency, abilities, and/or unit cohesion. For example I do not believe that women should be allowed into infantry roles at all, possibly special operations because the elite cream of the crop soldiers a few cuts above the average infantrymen even before training combined with the intense long term training might be able to overcome the inherit problems in the regular infantry units deriving of basic human characteristics. In this case the almost instinctual male compulsion to protect, comfort, and rescue females in distress, especially strong drive with Americans.
The Russian military felt they had to have women in all positions in War Two including infantry. The female infantry soldier was studied by the soviet military throughout and long after the war and the conclusions were no surprise to the infantry. It was found that units without women suffered less casualties, were more effective and ruthless when necessary, less risk adverse than units with women even units serving side by side. This was determined to be directly related to the forementioned male tendencies as well as a range of other problems including relationships, sex, jealousies, separate physical needs and the like. Directly after War Two the soviet military pulled women from all but support positions not due to physical abilities but due to all the problems impossible to solve short of male only units and this remains to this day.
Where I know these issues would not pose unsurmountable problems is in combat aviation. In fact, as competition aerobatics proves beyond intelligent argument or doubt the physiology and physical build of women enable them to withstand higher G loads than men can with skill levels equal to men, perhaps a touch better as women generally have slightly faster reaction times than men all meaning they could be superior to men as fighter pilots. So let them fly combat but pull them from the infantry and like roles. Let them serve in all Naval positions as well including submarines if sex, relationship and jealousy issues can be solved. I personally dont understand why women fought so hard to be "allowed" to be in combat roles as they wete lucky to avoid them and furthermore could serve in the most important roles. Its supply that wins wars. the nation that can supply its feilded military better than the other wins in the long term, period. as war two proved well as the germans had superior everyyhing for much of the war but as america out supplied their troops ten to one or better it didnt matter
Thanks. Interesting stuff. Read up about the Ruski "Night Witches" if you haven't already.
Yes and they mainly taught an important tles son in equality
Wasp's I thought they were the hornet's devil's without a cause😁😉💪🤘❤ girls, who is this wild and crazy leader if the women's movement (she's a beast) I'm scared to meet her.
The narrators narrative is the total opposite of what the women are actually saying in parts of this doc. So obviously trying to force a narrative
These women remind me of the sacrifices made by the WASP in America during the same period
note to hollywood ?? stop makeing rubbish ? try this spitfire girls xxx
It's too British for Holywood; although I know that there were American pilots in the ATA.
Jonathan, you have made a great suggestion! I hope someone in Hollywood is wise enough to ‘seize the day!’ These ladies have contributed significantly to liberty and are true patriots. Well done and thank you!
@@e.conboy4286 yes its not super man green man yellow man its real stuff understand x