WW2 Female Spitfire Pilot given Freedom of the Isle of Wight


101 year old and sole surviving "Spitfire Girl", Mary Ellis, has been given the Freedom of the Isle of Wight.

Mary had her first flying lesson in 1938 and joined the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) in 1941 and went on to fly over 400 Spitfires, Seafires and 47 Wellington bombers across the Solent delivering planes to the RAF.   Between 1950 and 1970, Mary took charge of Sandown Airport.




Did you know that the women of the ATA:

  •  Were one of the first to receive equal pay.
  • 168 women served in the ATA
  • About 15 were killed during WW2 including the famous female pilot, Amy Johnson.





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