9/23/2023 0 Comments World war 2 navy aircrew wingsWhen the dispatcher finally called her in to take the P-47, Teresa rejoiced, then nearly cried as bad weather rolled in. She considered herself lucky to find a bed in the nurses’ quarters, but she didn't dare go into the officer's mess: she didn't have the jacket to match her slacks. She hurriedly bought a tiny jar of Pond's Cold Cream, a toothbrush, and a tube of toothpaste to get her through the trip.Īs sometimes happened, it was a full five days before the plane Teresa was supposed to fly to California was ready for takeoff. Teresa didn't dare tell the operations officer that she didn’t have a change of clothes with her, only the gabardine slacks and cotton tan shirt she was wearing, with her lipstick and a comb in her pocket. When she arrived at the modification center in Evansville, Indiana, however, she learned that she was on orders to take a P-47 Thunderbolt to Long Beach, California, early the next morning. The dispatcher told her not to bother packing a bag, assuring her that she was only going on a short trip and would “be right back.” Having her doubts but trusting the dispatcher, off Teresa went. One morning on base in Wilmington, Delaware, Teresa received a flight assignment. One WASP (Woman Airforce Service Pilot) who is highlighted in my book The Women With Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, Teresa James, shared with me some of the challenges of being a ferry pilot. But women were first brought into the USAAF to serve as ferry pilots. Some of the women towed targets behind their planes as gunners on the ground fired upon them. During that time, they flew every type of plane the USAAF had-77 types in all-and logged over 60 million miles. ![]() The Women Airforce Service Pilots served as civilians in the US Army Air Forces from September 1942 to December 1944.
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