Women Airforce Service Pilots

From Women Aviators

Elizabeth L. Gardner, WASP, at the controls of a B-26 Marauder.

The Women Airforce Service Pilots, also known as WASP, and the predecessor groups the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) and the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) (official from September 10, 1942) were each a pioneering organization of civilian female pilots employed to fly military aircraft under the direction of the United States Army Air Forces during gender sensitive days of World War II that eventually would number in the thousands of female pilots, each freeing up a male pilot for combat service and duties. The WFTD and WAFS were combined in mid-1943 to create the para-military WASP organization.

1 Creation of the WASP
2 Duties of the WASP
3 Battle for militarization and legacy
4 Notable WASP aviators
5 See also
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links

Creation of the WASP

By the summer of 1941, the famous women pilots Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran and test-pilot Nancy Harkness Love independently submitted proposals for the use of female pilots in non-combat missions to the United States Army Air Forces|Army Air Force (the predecessor to the United States Air Force or USAF) after the outbreak of World War II in Europe. The motivation for both proposals was to free up more male pilots for combat roles by employing qualified female pilots on missions such as ferrying aircraft from factories to military bases, and towing drones/aerial targets. So leading into Pearl habor, Henry H. Arnold|General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, commander of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), with characteristic male prejudices of the time, had turned down both Love's 1940 and the better connected and more famous Cochran's 1941 proposal despite unsubtle lobbying by Eleanor Roosevelt, but essentially promised command of any such effort to Cochran, should such a force be needed in the future.

While America was not yet directly involved in the war itself, it was apparent to many by 1940-1941 that it was inevitible. Cochran went to England to volunteer and fly for the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). The American women who flew in the ATA were the first American women to fly military aircraft. They flew the Royal Air Force's front-line aircraft--Spitfires, Typhoons, Hudsons, Mitchells, Blenheims, Oxfords, Walruses, and Sea Otters--in a non-combat role but in combat-like conditions. Most of these women served the war in the ATA. In fact there were only three members of the ATA who made it back to the US to participate in the WASP program.

The U.S. had been building its airpower and military presence in anticipation of eventual direct involvement in the conflict and had belatedly begun to drastically expand it's men in uniform. This period had led to a dramatic increase in activity for the U.S. Army Air Force and there were obvious gaps in "manpower" that could be filled by women. However, it was not until after the attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States armed forces fully into the war that it became evident to some there were not enough male pilots to serve all necessary roles. To those most involved with military transport, especially in the new Army Air Force Air Transport Command (ATC) the numbers were painfully obvious, and William H. Tunner fell under the influence of Love when she took a civilian position with his command. Ignorant of Hap Arnold's prior considerations, Tunner asked Love to draw up a proposal and soon began using women via Ferry Command to ferry planes from factory to air fields, which soon became the beginnings of the para-military Women's Auxillary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) which was officially founded in September 1942 under the command of Love.

With the sudden realization of war realities by mid-summer of 1942, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, commander of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), was willing to consider the prior proposals seriously. One of Cochran's proposals was to use woman as civilian instructor pilots. He came to find he'd already been pre-empted by ATC founder and commander General William H. Tunner. By the time Hap Arnold found out his decision had been ignored and circumvented, Tunner had tens of women ferrying planes from factory to air fields as independent contractors. Initially pre-war, Gen. Arnold had simply shipped the 'troublesome' women Cochran to England to help the British with the war supply effort, feeling that there was no real need for their assistance at home, as America was still largely uninvolved. Half a year after the Pearl Harbor attack, he was convinced not so much by Cochran and unaware of Love's influence with Tunner but by Tunner's exercise of initiative that the women could really make an impact—they were simply already doing so.

Cochran's and Love's squadrons were thereby established separately (as the 319th Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) at Municipal Airport (now Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas under Cochran as commanding officer and the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron WAFS at New Castle Delaware Army Air Base (now New Castle Airport, respectively) in 1942 and then later merged to form the Women Airforce Service Pilots [WASP] in July of 1943.

Deanie Parish in front of an early P-47 on the flight line at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, in the early 1940s.

Duties of the WASP

The WASP were a unique corps of women pilots, each already possessing a pilots license and dedicated to helping their country. They were trained to fly "the Army way" by the U.S. Army Air Force at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas. After completing months of military flight training, 1,078 of them earned their wings and became 'WASP', Women Airforce Service Pilots, the first women in history to fly American military aircraft.

Ferry pilot Florene Watson warms up her P-51.

After their training, the WASP were stationed at 120 air bases across the United States, relieving male pilots returning from combat duty and numerous other flight related missions. They flew more than 60 million miles of operational flights from aircraft factories to ports of embarkation and military training bases, towing targets for live anti-aircraft artillery practice, simulated strafing missions, and transporting cargo. Almost every type of aircraft ever flown by the USAAF during WW II, including the very early American jet aircraft were also flown by women in these roles. Between September, 1942 and December, 1944, the WASP delivered 12,650 aircraft of 78 different types to their destination and had flown over sixty million cumulative miles. Over fifty percent of the ferrying of combat aircraft within the United States during WW II was carried out by WASP, under the leadership of Nancy Love.

Thirty-eight WASP fliers lost their lives while serving their country during the war. Because they were not considered to be actually in the military under the existing guidelines, a fallen WASP was sent home at the expense of her family without any traditional military honor or note of their heroism.

Four women pilots leaving their ship at the four-engine school at Lockbourne during WASP training to ferry B-17 Flying Fortresses.

Battle for militarization and legacy

The WASP were considered civil service employees and did not receive military benefits unlike their male counterparts. On June 21, 1944, a bill in the United States House of Representatives to give the WASP military status was narrowly defeated after civilian male pilots lobbied against the idea. As a result, General Arnold ordered that the WASP be disbanded by December 20, 1944. USAAF General "Hap" Arnold is quoted from a speech he delivered at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas on December 7, 1944:"The WASP have completed their mission. Their job has been successful. But as is usual in war, the cost has been heavy. Thirty-eight WASP have died while helping their country move toward the moment of final victory. The Air Forces will long remember their service and their final sacrifice."

All records of the WASP were classified and sealed for 35 years, so their contributions to the war effort were little known and inaccessible to historians for many years. In 1975, under the leadership of Col. Bruce Arnold, son of General Hap Arnold, the WASP fought the "Battle of Congress" in Washington, D.C. to belatedly obtain recognition as Veterans of WW II. They organized as a group again and tried to gain public support for their official recognition. Finally, in 1977, with the important support of Senator Barry Goldwater (having been a ferry pilot himself during the war with the 27th Ferry Squadron), President Jimmy Carter signed legislation #95-202, Section 401, The G.I. Bill Improvement Act of 1977, granting the WASP corp the distinction of full military status for their service. In 1984, each WASP was awarded the Victory Medal. Those who served for more than one year were also awarded American Theater Medal/American Campaign Medal for their service during WW II. Many of the medals were received by their sons and daughters on their behalf.

Fifinella.

The female gremlin Fifinella, originally conceived by Roald Dahl and drawn by Walt Disney, was used as the official WASP mascot and appeared on their shoulder patch.

Regardless of their many accomplishments since their deactivation, the most important WASP legacy is their contribution as military pilots during World War II to ensure the continued freedom of America. Because of the pioneering and the expertise they demonstrated in successfully flying every type of military aircraft, from the fastest fighters to the heaviest bombers, the WASP blazed a trail for women of future generations to follow. The WASP had proven conclusively that female pilots, when given the same training as male pilots, can fly wingtip to wingtip with their brothers.