Tribute to the US pilots of the RAF Ferry/Transport Command

[pfrost]

If you follow the ATA link you fill find a list of about 22 American women who flew with the ATA:

 

Recruited by Jackie Cochran*

American:

Opal Anderson Averitt*

Winnie Pierce Beasley*

Myrtle (Mikki) Allen Carter*

Emily Chapin*

Peggy Lennox Drown*

Virginia Farr*

Sue Humphreys Ford de Flores*

Mary Zerble Hooper Ford

Virginia Garst*

Una Goodwin*

Dorothy Furey Bragg Beatty Hewitt

Roberta Sandoz Leveaux

Evelyn Hudson Richards*

Polly Potter Forsstrom Ross*

Mary Webb Nicholson*

Hazel Raines*

Helen Richey*

Nancy Miller Livingston Stratford

Edith Foltz Stearns*

Grace Stevenson*

Catherine Van Doozer*

Ann Wood Kelly*

Betty Lussier

[B-17Guy]

This has become an excellent thread, Patrick, thanks for adding rich information to it!

Also of note, David Hill wrote an excellent article on the ATA titled “The ATA and What It Did For America” in the April-June 2015 issue of ASMIC’s publication “The Trading Post”.

John

 

[mtnman]

Here is a write-up with quotations from Wikipedia research on the lineage of the RAF Ferry command and it's different iterations along with some pictures of my additional material that the US Pilots would have worn as they were transferred into the different nominative designations of the command throughout the war.....

 

The RAF Transport Command has long been a very interesting aspect of militaria collecting for me but it is very difficult and few and far between are found, the Sterling insignia of the transport command. I have been searching for several years now, for an example of Transport Command wing insignia by Murphy of Montreal Canada. As you will see, the gentle undulations of the wings accentuated by the "exclamation point" flare up of the wing tips from the trough of the dip on each wing, as well as the rich royal blue perfection of the enamel placement with pinpoint precision incorporation of silver lettering within the enamel,has generated some of the most some of the most beautiful and as I mentioned in the title, elegant, insignia of World War II.

 

The cap badge with its balanced intricacies, is a shock to the aesthetic, just breathtaking and complex design, with the incorporation of silver as a throne for the Royal Blue yet again. There is the subtle reservation of consummate skill as well as the glory of that skill unveiled in balanced, centered, circular elegance.

 

A little history of the transport command from the beginning. the transport command started as a group of civilian pilots from the US, Canada and Great Britain. Some very delicate handling of getting the aircraft from us factories to Canada had to be organized, including having horses pull early aircraft across the Canadian border after being flown from the US aircraft production factories to the border, was employed to get around US neutrality laws. FDR made sure any Authority from the US government looked the other way. The name given to the organization was first the Canadian Pacific railway aircraft facilities, then the Atlantic ferrying organization or ATFERO, then the RAF Ferry Command, and finally when the transportation of aircraft became worldwide by 1943, the organization became the transport command with the Atlantic route being designated the Air Transport Group 45.

 

(Wikipedia info added...)

 

"The practice of ferrying aircraft from US manufacturers to the UK was begun by the Ministry of Aircraft Production. Its minister, Lord Beaverbrook, a Canadian by origin, reached an agreement with Sir Edward Beatty, a friend and chairman of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, to provide ground facilities and support. MAP would provide civilian crews and management. Former RAF officer Don Bennett, a specialist in long distance flying and later Air Vice Marshal and commander of the Pathfinder force, led the first delivery flight in November 1940. In 1941, MAP took the operation off CPR to put the whole operation under the Atlantic Ferry Organization ("Atfero") which was set up by Morris W. Wilson, a banker in Montreal. Wilson hired civilian pilots to fly the aircraft to the UK. The pilots were then ferried back. "Atfero hired the pilots, planned the routes, selected the airports [and] set up weather and radiocommunication stations."

 

Aircraft were first transported to Dorval Airport near Montreal, and then flown to RCAF Station Gander in Newfoundland for the trans-Atlantic flight.

 

The organization was passed to Air Ministry administration though retaining civilian pilots, some of which were Americans, alongside RAF pilots, navigators and British radio operators. The crews were briefed by local meteorologists including R. E. Munn. After completing delivery, crews were flown back to Canada for the next run.

 

Ferry Command was formed on 20 July 1941, by the raising of the RAF Atlantic Ferry Service to Command status. Its commander for its whole existence was Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick Bowhill.

 

As its name suggests, the main function of Ferry Command was the ferrying of new aircraft from factory to operational unit. Ferry Command did this over only one area of the world, rather than the more general routes that Transport Command later developed. The Command's operational area was the north Atlantic, and its responsibility was to bring the larger aircraft that had the range to do the trip over the ocean from American and Canadian factories to the RAF home Commands."

 

This was pioneering work: before Ferry Command, only about a hundred aircraft had attempted a North Atlantic crossing in good weather, and only about half had made it. Over the course of the war, more than 9,000 aircraft were ferried across the ocean and, by the end of the war, crossing the Atlantic had become a routine operation, presaging the inauguration of scheduled commercial air transport services after the war.

 

Ferry Command was subsumed into the new Transport Command on 25 March 1943 by being reduced to Group status as No 45 (Atlantic Ferry) Group.[6] No. 45 Group still retained responsibility for Atlantic aircraft ferrying operations, but Transport Command was a worldwide formation, rather than a single-mission"

[mtnman]

The RAF transport command wing is very similar to the RAF Ferry command wing and made by the same subsidiary of Birks called Murphy. As you will see, the pilot who chose these particular wings, decided to go with a screw back attachment assembly. The screws are thick and solid, and excellent attachment choice if you don't mind the required piercing of the tunic for the wings to be set in their permanent position. Notice the undulating aerial form of the Wings and the tiered formation of the fletching. The delicate elegance of these Wings is unmatched by any other Wing I have held, a one of a kind design indeed.

[mtnman]

The cap badge by Scully Ltd with the Roman helmet symbol, a wing maker that continues to work in insignia and helping collectors mount their collections in honor of the warriors who fought in the areas they collect and of course the material of the veterans who carry their family's namesake. The cap badge matches the elegant and aerial design of the Wings with the same beautiful silver work and enamel precision. 

[Scarecrow]

Great thread!  Patrick thank you for posting the link to my previous thread regarding Ferry Command.  If you don't mind I'll post some other items that I've acquired regarding Ferry Command/Transport Command/ATG 45.  The first is an Atlantic Transport Group 45 Suits Aircrew/Battledress jacket.  Interesting to note that the jacket sports the ATG 45 brevet but he apparently retained his Ferry Command cap badge.  Haven't been able to discover the purpose or award of the red ribbon on the right side of the jacket.  The 2nd item is a small duffle bag for the Ferry Command, hand painted with the brevet and Astral Crown.  The 3rd item is a history of 45 Group.  The last item shown is an RAFFC stencil on the inside chamois lining of an RCAF B type flight helmet.  Thanks for looking and again great thread.

[pfrost]

And now for some pretty ATA-girls!  "HEY MISTER, my eyes are up here!"  Including our own Jackie Cochoran

Mel is the brains behind this thread.  I just hijacked it!

 

P

[mtnman]

Thanks for adding in the ATA material Patrick, a very good match for this thread. I will bring in my ATA material soon, with a write-up of the history. US Pilots participated in British government organization with civilian personnel, the wartime service called the Air Transport Auxiliary.

[rathbonemuseum.com]

I notice that in one of the old threads that Patrick shared i had posted photos that are now broken. I hope to bring this photo back which I have in my archive and wish I owned but alas. The early Ferry Command material is very hard to come by, whether insignia alone or more complete uniforms. Especially from the very beginning when it was still a private enterprise in conjunction with the Canadian Pacific RR. 

 

Below is the Ferry Command cap badge for the visor cap, probably made by Scully of Montreal.

Next is the early FC wing which is impossible to find.

Then the later approved Ferry Command wing with the astral crown.

And finally the first pattern FC cap badge that goes with the early wing.

[mtnman]

WOW! What a splendid display Tod! Thank you so much for sharing this rarely seen ensemble, especially the ferry command fabric wing with the FC. If you get a chance, I would love to see the rear of the FC wing and the cap badge. This FC wing is absolutely breathtaking, what a diligent and discerning collecting eye to have found such a splendid artifact... Well done sir! Keep up the excellent work and stewardship that has taught so many people, so much about world military aviation history Tod. 

[rathbonemuseum.com]

41 minutes ago, mtnman said:

WOW! What a splendid display Tod! Thank you so much for sharing this rarely seen ensemble, especially the ferry command fabric wing with the FC. If you get a chance, I would love to see the rear of the FC wing and the cap badge. This FC wing is absolutely breathtaking, what a diligent and discerning collecting eye to have found such a splendid artifact... Well done sir! Keep up the excellent work and stewardship that has taught so many people, so much about world military aviation history Tod. 

 

As mentioned, don't own them but wish i did. This is the only photo i have on file but will hopefully elicit some other hidden gems.

[mtnman]

Oh! Sorry Tod, I read your writing so fast in excitement that I missed that. Thanks for clarifying and again sorry about my oversight.

[rathbonemuseum.com]

This just in. A very small lapel wing for ATFERO, the civilian Atlantic Ferry Organization built under auspices of the Canadian Pacific railroad in 1940 and then transferred to RAF command in 1941. Interestingly, this little wing has the ATFERO oval superimposed on a US Naval Aviator wing vs a Canadian style wing. Made by Birks of Canada.

[Scarecrow]

Todd,

 

Thanks for posting the ATFERO pin.  Never seen one.  It is very interesting that it is superimposed on a Naval Aviators wing.  Most likely an early Naval wing as it lacks the "berries".  Very nice and again thanks for posting.

Paul

[B-17Guy]

Here is another recent addition to add, ATA wing by Birks, measures 1 1/8"

John

 

[pfrost]

This thread spurred me on to add a couple of small lapel wings.  One we haven't seen is the Transport Command wing that preceded the Ferry Command.  The Transport Command is hallmarked Murphy and is pin back.  The Ferry Command wing is screw-back and hallmarked Birks.

 

Sorry about the blurry photos.  My eyes are getting horrible.

 

P

[pfrost]

succeeded not preceded.

[pfrost]

new baby to the nest.

 

Its interesting in that it is sewn directly to a think leather backing.  The bit behind the ATA appears to be a velvet type material.

[mtnman]

Most beautiful and unique example I've ever seen. You knocked it out of the park my friend.... 

[pfrost]

Thank you Mel, I really like the bullion.  Note how the wing tips are made up of bullion wire threads that are oriented in different directions. This gives it a very nice 3 dimensional effect. I wonder if it was intended for wear on a light jacket of some kind. I've never seen one (or any other RAF wing) on a thin leather backing.

[cwnorma]

Handsome!  Not you Patrick... You cheeky boy.  The wing!

[rathbonemuseum.com]

A great example Patrick!

[Allan H.]

Hey Patrick! If I tell you that your newest brevet is a fake, will you send it to me? 🤣What a gorgeous piece and it is great that it is mounted on a leather backing. One would have to conclude that it was meant for wear on a flight jacket? 

 

I like to think that i have a pretty decent collection of RAF and Commonwealth brevets. ATA wings have always eluded me, or at least the ones that I was comfortable with calling original. Great pick up my friend.

 

Allan

[pfrost]

Thank you guys.  Mel really started a nice bee in my bonnet about these ATA wings.  I have always liked the idea of the paramilitary transportation/ferry work during WWII.  I think the idea of using non-military pilots (like women) to free up the more combat-eligible pilots was a brilliant idea.  Especially early in the war when new ideas were being tried out.

 

This area is related to the civilian training aspects of military pilots (be it in the USA contract schools, like Cal Aero), the British Flight Training Schools (BFTS) RAF-USAAF-related lend lease training programs or the Empire Flight Training Scheme (EFTS) schools of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.   There was also a lot of Allied crossover, as the various programs seemed to learn from each other.  The American WASPs, for example, evolved from the RAF ferrying service experiences of Jackie Cochoran.

 

Rare and getting rarer every day, it is great fun to actually find the hiding treasures that still exist. 

[pfrost]

I hope the mods don't get upset. But if you are interested there is an interesting RAF Ferry Command lapel wing for sale.

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1239581858/raf-ferry-command-sterling-silver-fc?click_key=5bf638bf1796d58f9f8847a96f2011ab62a63893%3A1239581858&click_sum=863b6931&ref=shop_home_recs_1

 

I have no vested interest in this, one way or the other. But maybe someone is interested.

Patrick