Women Pilots of World War II, by Jean Hascall Cole

Women Pilots of World War II, by Jean Hascall Cole
University of Utah Press, 1992
155 pages, plus Glossary and index
Library: 940.544 COL

Description
Collected by one of the forty-nine members of Class 44-W-2, Jean Hascall Cole's interviews with her former classmates document their valuable contribution to the history of women, aviation, and the military.

Women Pilots of World War II presents a rare look at the personal experiences of the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) by recording the adventures from one of eighteen classes of women to graduate from the Army Air Force's flight training school during World WAr II. This unique oral history [transcriptions] verifies the flying accomplishments of these women from as early as 1943.

The women pilots of class 44-W-2 flew every type of aircraft, including heavy bombers, transports and pursuits. Their experiences included crashes on takeoff, midair collisions, forced landings, parachute jumps from sabotaged aircraft, and many other exciting tales.

Women Pilots of World War II starts with their training at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas; follows them to their bases, and documents what happened once the WASP program was deactivated in December 1944. In conclusion, the pilots speculate on the changing roles of women in our society, the value of their service to their country, and their contribution to the women's movement and society in general.

Table of Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. How it began
2. Avenger Field and primary training
3. Ground school and basic training
4. Instrument training and Link
5. Cross-country and advanced training
6. B-26 School
7. Other bases, other planes
8. Test pilots and ferry pilots
9. Pursuit pilots and bomber pilots
10. Deactivation and beyond
Epilogue
Glossar
Index