Mary Ellis
Trailblazer for female aviators, who ‘ferried’ aeroplanes during the war
Mary Ellis, who has died aged 101, was one of the first women to fly Spitfires, heavy bombers and jet aircraft. She was a member of the Air Transport Auxiliary, which employed civilians to deliver planes from factories to airfields during the Second World War.
She was shot at over Bournemouth, possibly by friendly fire, and had a near-miss as she landed in fog at the same time as another Spitfire. She also survived a crash-landing when the undercarriage on her Spitfire jammed.
Her contribution to the war effort — about 1,000 flights — was not always appreciated. At one RAF base, the ground crew refused to believe she was the pilot of the Wellington…
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