Edwin Alliott Verdon-Roe (AV) was already known in the early part of the 20thC for his Aeroplane experiments at Brooklands & at Lee Marshes, where he finally achieved his 1st Controlled successful Flight in July 1909. With Production escalating & with a general lack of Flying Facilities close to his Manchester Factories, A V Roe selected Hamble on the South Coast near Portsmouth as a suitable Site for the Creation of a New ‘Garden City’, a place where both Aeroplanes & Flying-boats could be Built with Employees living Locally in 450 Newly-built Houses. The Business needed to expand so he Purchased land at Hamble where a the Garden City was envisaged for his employees, along with facilities for Building & Testing Landplanes and Seaplanes. In 1916, a purpose built Factory, Airfield & Slipway were Constructed, where Ensign Way is situated today, but only 24-Houses were built in Verdon Avenue rather than a Garden City.
A–Fairey Aviation (1915), B–Armstrong Whitworth, C–Hamble South Airfield, (AVRO 1916), D–No.1 Marine Acceptance Depot (1917), E–British Marine Aircraft,(1935)-Later Folland/Hawker-Siddely/British Aerospace, F–Hamble North Airfield (1926) RAF & ATA, G–Browns Aerodrome
No’15 Ferry Pilots Pool, September 1941 to September 1945. (Disbanded)
Equipped with: Avro Anson, Foster-Wickner Warferry, Fairchild Argus.
20th September 1941 – Air Transport Auxiliary Female Pilots Pool Established in New Hangar, South of Hampton Cottages.
An ATA Ferry Pilots Pool started at Hamble-on-Solent in September 1940, Led by Captain Brian Wardle, and at the beginning it was a sub-Pool of No.1 Ferry Pool, but soon it became No.15 Ferry Pool & a year later 29th September 1941 an all-Women Ferry Pool. They took over from the all-Male Ferry Pool with Serving Head of Pool, Australian Geoff Wikner (Aircraft Designer), Leaving to be replaced by Margot Gore as CO (Commanding Officer) with Rosemary Rees as her Deputy. Alison King was appointed the non-Flying Operations Officer.
When No.15 Ferry Pool, Hamble-on-Solent became the 2nd all-Women’s Pool, Margot Gore was promoted from Captain and became its Commanding Officer. Here her natural qualities of Leadership together with the high Standard she set herself as a Pilot earned her the respect of her Team of fellow Pilots, Engineers & Administrative Staff. In spite of the exhausting Flying Duties, often interrupted by Enemy Action & the discomfort of Return Journeys by Slow Trains in Wartime Winters, Hamble is remembered by the Women who Served there as having a Happy & Harmonious Atmosphere. Well known women Pilots such as Diana Barnato & Lettice Curtis were Members of Hamble’s Ferry Pool.
Central Ferry Control, part of 41-Group RAF, was at Andover, responsible for Supply & Allocation of Aircraft. Overnight they would allocate work to the Ferry Pools, where Operations Officers were faced with a Logistical Nightmare, allocating Work to Pilots depending on their Qualification & Experience. A day’s Work could involve several Flights in several different Types of Plane. Aircraft Taxis, the Avro Anson & the Fairchild Argus, conveyed Pilots to their 1st Ferry Job & if possible, collected them at the end of the day. If not, Pilots would stay Overnight at Airfields, in Hotels or take a Night Train back to Base; the Diary of one American Pilot held at Maidenhead Heritage Centre shows that he got fed up with British Trains. There could also be much sitting around waiting for the British Weather to improve, especially in Winter. At White Waltham, Home to No.1 Ferry Pool, the Spire of Shottesbrooke Church, 1-mile away on the other side of the Airfield, was a good measure of Visibility. Pilots were Allocated a Classification according to the Types of Aircraft they had been cleared to Fly. ATA had its own Flying Schools at Thame, for Initial Flying Training & White Waltham for Advanced Flying Training – Heavier Aircraft.
IWM Interview – Oral History (3 Reels)
Reel-1: Background in England, 1913-1939: Family; Education; visiting Germany; Flying Lessons, 1939; Outbreak of War. Recollections of Period as Operations Officer with Air Transport Auxiliary with Hatfield Ferry Pool & No.15 Ferry Pool ATA Hamble in GB, 1940-45 taking over Operations from Marion Wilberforce: Duties as 1st Woman Operations Officer; number of Pilots at Hatfield Ferry Pool; memories of Amy Johnson & her death; reaction of other Pilots to death of Amy Johnson; reaction to leaving Hatfield.
Reel 2: Pilots who moved to No.15 Ferry Pool ATA Hamble; Duties organising Operations; Role of No.15 Ferry Pool ATA Hamble; Duties; daily routine; arrival of American Women Pilots; memories of Rosemary Rees later Lady Du Cros; monitoring Weather; daily routine; leave; selecting Aircraft to suit Pilots.
Reel 3: Role of the ATA; Uniform; death of Dora Lang in Flying accident; other Accidents at No.15 Ferry Pool ATA Hamble; Accommodation; reaction to deaths of Pilots; Air Raids; Memories of D-Day, 6th June 1944; V1 Flying Bomb Attacks; impact of Wartime experience on life; reaction to end of War, VE-Day, 8th May 1945; aspects of post-War life.
Miss Roy Mary Sharpe MBE managed to forge a post-War Career in Aviation as Test Pilot, Aircraft Saleswoman & Race Competitor.
The Irvin Flying Jacket was superb. Made from Heavyweight Sheepskin, its thick natural wool provided incredible Insulation. While the Sheepskin was considered Heavyweight the Jacket itself was comparatively light & remarkably comfortable. Irvin insisted on the most supple Sheepskin: in a cramped Cockpit movement was already restricted and no Pilot or Crew would want to be constrained further still. The Irvin Jacket was a masterpiece of Design, maximum warmth & comfort combined with maximum mobility. The Jackets had long sleeves zipped to enable Gauntlets to be worn. The wide Collar could be raised to provide excellent insulation around the Neck & lower part of the Head & Face while a Belt was fitted at the waist to ensure draughts couldn’t drop the Pilot’s body temperature & reduce the level of alertness. The original Jackets didn’t have pockets as these were not needed. Irvin was producing his Jackets & Parachutes at Letchworth in the 1930s
Back row, L to R, are: Pam Tulk-Hart, Joy (Gough) Lofthouse, , Monique Agazarian & Helen Kerly
Front row, L to R, are: Rita Baines, Rosemary Bannister, Faith Bennett, Rosemary Rees, Margot Gore, Veronica (Innis) Volkersz, Jackie Sorour, Mary Wilkins, Margaret Frost.
The Rita Pauline Baines / David Colby Couple met last January when Miss Baines travelled as Air-hostess and made a call at the Gambia (British West Africa) Station of the Airways Company of which Mr. Colby was Station Manager.” Staffordshire Advertiser – Saturday 30 November 1946
David Colby died 30 January 1948 (age 27) in the Crash of British & South American Airlines’ Avro Tudor IV G-AHNP ‘Star Tiger‘, Lost on a Flight between the Azores & Bermuda. 6-Crew & 25-Passengers died.]
The Women’s Ferry Pool started with 10-Pilots plus a Junior Taxi Pilot, 1-Operations Officer & 1-Driver with 5-Engineers to deal with 2–Avro Ansons & 2–Fairchild Argus Taxi Aircraft. By Summer 1942 it had grown to 30-Pilots & 20-Engineers to Service 5–Ansons & 6–Fairchilds. Additional support Staff included 4-Drivers, 3 in Operations, 2-Adjutants, a Map & Signals Officer, a Resident Sick Bay Sister plus Canteen Staff & Typists. This required more Accommodation so a dedicated ATA 1-Storey Building was Constructed & Opened in July, which included a Mess Room, Dining Room & Staff Offices.
Ground: Pam Marsh, Phyllis Farquharson, Kay van Doozer, Maureen Dunlop, Grace Stevenson, Emily Chapin, Rosemary Bannister, Pat Parker, Phillippa Bennett, Rachel Nickals, Margot Gore, Alison King, Rosemary Rees, Barbara Murray, Margaret Murray, Doreen Williams, Betty Grant – Total of 30 Girls
As there was no Accommodation available at the Airfield these ATA Women lived in Rented Rooms or Dwellings in Village, such as Mere House, Sydney Cottages, Royal Southern Yacht Club & Houses in Satchell Lane.
Hamble Ferry Pool also delivered Aircraft for the Fleet Air Arm to places such as Worthy Down, Gosport & Lee on Solent.
Air Service Training Ltd at Hamble was the Country’s Main Spitfire Repair Base. AST eventually worked on Larger Aircraft such as the American B17 Flying Fortresses Bomber.
Margot Gore as CO could not Fly each day due to Administrative Duties but always Flew whenever she could; Margot Flew with apparent ease the 4-Engine B-17 skimming a few feet above the AST Hangar. AST Ltd started undertaking modifications to the American Flying Fortress Bomber in early-1943.
2nd Row: Maureen Dunlop, Margot Dunhalle (Chile), Flt Captain Philippa Bennett, CO Margot Gore, Capt Rosemary Rees, Flt Capain Veronica (Innes) Volkersz, 1st Officer Anna Leska, 1st Officer Mary (Wilkins) Ellis
Bottom: Joy (Gough) Lofthouse, Maggie Frost, Monique Agazarian, Julie Howden NZ, Peggy Eveleigh
Mrs Mary (née Wilkins) Ellis who was born in 1929 in Leafield, Glos & as a Trained Pilot joined the ATA in 1941. The ATA was responsible for flying newly built planes from the Factories to the RAF Squadrons & the Royal Navy. By the end of the war Mrs Ellis had delivered Bombers, Fighter Planes & Jets flying alone without the aid of Radio or other Navigational aids except a Map. While based at No.15 Pool, Hamble (which was an all-female Pool) she delivered Planes to the New Forest Airfields at Beaulieu, Stoney Cross & Ibsley. The Spitfire factory at Eastliegh was surrounded by Barrage Balloons and although a special Flight Path was arranged flying between the Barrage Balloons with their attached wires was very Dangerous. Mrs Ellis recollects lighter moments: on one occasion she ‘Crash-landed’ near the Balmer Lawn Hotel. Neither she nor the Plane were damaged but she was surrounded by a herd of interested cows from which she was rescued by the Royal Marines Billeted in the Hotel. Mrs Ellis remembers constant Troop movements in & out of the New Forest & the build-up to D-Day when the Hamble was so full of Ships one could have walked from the Mainland to the Isle of Wight.
Unfortunately the ATA suffered the inevitable Loss of Life & this included Hamble Based Honor Isabel Salmon (nee Pitman) & Dora Lang. Honor was Educated at Abbott’s Hill & Westonbirt Schools, after which she learned to Fly & in 1926 gained her Pilot’s License. In March 1941 she joined ATA & that same Spring married Henry Salmon of Tockington Manor. Honor was Stationed at Hamble No.15 Ferry Pool & over the next 2-yrs flew 25-different Types of Aircraft. In 1942 Honor as 1st Officer and Pilot was delivering an Airspeed Oxford Aircraft in bad Weather to Colerne when she Flew into Roundway Hill (791-ft) near Calne Wilts. due to poor visibility on 19th April 1943. A granddaughter of Sir Isaac Pitman (of Shorthand), she was born at Kensington on 30th October 1912 & attended Abbotts Hill & Westonbirt School, near Tetbury, Glos. She married Major Henry Salmon at St Peter’s Church, Dyrham, Glos, on 20th June 1941. Mrs Salmon is now buried in St Peter’s Churchyard.
Dora Lang & 2-Crew were Killed in 1944 when her DH Mosquito reared up, turn on its Back & Dived into the Ground just before Landing at RAF Lasham, East Hants. The Official Report says “Whilst Approaching to Land the Aircraft appeared to Undershoot slightly, the Throttles were opened gently & then Fully, whereupon the Aircraft Climbed sharply 100-ft, Stalled, Crashed & was Destroyed. Dora of London, was a typical English Girl who was a Club Flier before the War. She Enlisted in the WAAF when War broke out & served 18-months as a Plotter in the Operations Room before being released to Serve as ATA Pilot.
Mid Row: ? ?, ? ?, Janice Harrington, Margot Duhalde,? ? , ? ?, Margot Gore, Flight Captain Philippa Bennett. Deputy Flight Captain Rosemary Rees (Lady du Cros), Veronica Innes, Anna Leska, Mary Wilkins Ellis, ?-?, ?-?,
Front Row: ? ?, Joy (Gough) Lofthouse, Faith Bennet, Monique Agazarian, ? ?, ? ?, ? ?
My mother Ethel (nee Harper) Burchell was Stationed at ATA Hamble from 1943 until it closed in 1945. She was originally a Typist & then became 3rd Officer in, I believe 1944. – Neil Burchell.
15th August 1945 – ATA Disbanded. Airfield full of Spitfires to be Scrapped
Transgender “Change of Sex by Woman Pilot”
Born Irene Joy Ferguson on 30th October 1915, Wellington Street, Lurgan, Co Armagh, NI
Although her Employment Records indicate that she did not have a Degree, the Grade she later reached in the Scientific Civil Service were normally only open to Graduates.
Aged 26 & now living at Holden Road, North Finchley, Middlesex, she joined the Ministry of Supply in 1941 & is a Chief Experimental Officer Employed on Aircraft Research & Development. She joined the Government subsidised volunteer Civil Air Guard & obtained her Private Pilot’s Licence. Address 1943: Langham House, 89 Hide Rd, Harrow
Also, on Entry to the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), she was noted as having a much greater Technical background than their usual new Entry Pilots, most of whom however had a great deal more Flight Experience than she did. Joy entered the ATA in May 1943 and was Posted to a number of different Ferry Pools (FPs). Of these she spent the most aggregate time at No.15 Ferry Pool, at Hamble. Hamble was one of only 2–FPs which were all-Women, the others being mixed. Joy was not the most natural of Pilots, for all her enthusiasm & had to resit some of her Practical Flying Tests & remained at the Class-3 Level, Flying 26 different Types of Aircraft & was promoted to 2nd Officer in January 1944. Joy Ferguson Flew about 1,000-hrs as a Ferry Pilot.
In October 1945 Joy left the Air Transport Auxiliary as 3rd Officer and then Held a Commission for 5-yrs after the War in the WRAFVR. (Flying List 1949-54). She moved back to live in North London & in 1948 Ferguson became an Associate Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society. She acted as an Advisor to the Girl Guides’ Air Rangers Section for older Girls & took an active interest in the Complexities of the Mathematics required for Setting the Handicaps for Air Races. She was active in the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) from 1947-57 & gave a Talk on the Handicapping Maths to the London WES Group in 1952. Interestingly, one of Ferguson’s ATA Friends said that she had been told as early as 1939 that such Surgery would have been possible then but decided to postpone it until after the War on the reasonable premise that she could serve her Country just as well as a Woman than as a Man. The change to Living as a Man resulted in Worldwide Press Reports of this, stating that Ferguson’s Civil Service Employers were unconcerned about the change & that he would continue with his work as before, but with a Welcome Increase in Pay due to the Male Grade.
Now Employed by the Ministry of Supply (then under Aubrey Jones MP), he stated that he had undergone a change of Sex & would in future be known as Jonathan Ferguson. The Register containing the particulars of Birth had been amended. Mr Jonathan Ferguson was then aged 43-yrs.
The Times, Saturday, 11th January 1958: “Ferguson – The Register containing particulars of the Birth of Irene Joy Ferguson, of Holden Road, London, N.12, has been corrected to read ‘Male‘ instead of ‘Female‘ & ‘Jonathan‘ instead of ‘Irene Joy‘. (Signed) Jonathan Ferguson.” (b.1915-d.1974)
Veronica (Innes) Volkersz, who married a Dutch National was the 1st British Woman to Fly a Gloster Meteor Jet in September 1945
Whilst the above examples are of people whose story might be seen to stretch the Boundaries of believability in Fiction, in Volkersz’s case it is the circumstances around her 1st Jet-powered Flight which stretch modern credulity. Verging on incredulous for us, well aware of the differences between Jet-propelled Aircraft & Propeller-driven ones. Volkersz was offered no Conversion Course, no Cockpit Inspection, no helpful Hints, no Comment. Just a New 4″ x 5″ Card to be inserted in her Ring Binder Ferry Pilot’s Notes in Alphabetical Order between Martinet & Oxford, to be glanced at on her way out to Dispersal. Of course, she was a Brilliant Pilot & had requested a chance to Fly a Meteor. No doubt also, that all Pilots would have kept abreast of Developments as much as they could – the Aviation Magazines Flight & The Aeroplane were Published throughout the War, and of course Pilots would talk to each other, Volkersz’s Operations Officer would have been assured of her ability to adapt to & handle the differences. Forgotten Pilots
Veronica joined the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) as a 2nd Officer in March 1941, having spent the previous 15-months as a Driver for the London Ambulance Service. She then carried right on through to the Wind-up of the ATA in November 1945, finishing as a Flight Captain; in the meantime, she had married Flt Lt Volkersz of the Netherlands Navy & taken out Dutch Nationality. She had a few mishaps on the way – she ‘mishandled the Controls’ of a Hurricane & it Nosed over after Landing; struck the side of a Low-loader in a Spitfire (Reprimanded for Taxiing without Due Care) & also struck a pile of Chocks when Taxying an Argus. She also had one Forced Landing after Engine failure in an Anson, but even the ATA couldn’t blame her for that. She was considered a ‘Careful, Steady’ Pilot: “An extremely Reliable & Intelligent Pilot whose influence in the Ferry Pool is good and has progressed well.” She was, however, reckoned to be ‘too Diffident in manner to really possess any great qualities of Leadership. It is her sense of responsibility & interest in the Job that made her a useful Flight Captain.
Post-war, She wrote a Book “The Sky & I“
Air Gunner Bob Gill DFM 