Kat suggested I post this here:

 

1. In researching several WASP for writing Remembrances of them, I came across a number who died in uniform before finishing aviation training and wonder if they would be entitled to wear their WASP wings at that time?

 

2. Did WASP need to complete minimum marksmanship qualification, and thus wear the rifle or other weapon qual badges?

 

3. If a WASP had completed pilot training prior to enlistment (e.g. in the CAP or Civilian Pilot Training programs etc.) would they come into service wearing a wing of any kind?

1. No. The wings came upon graduation.

 

2. No. They were not military personnel and were not intended to be in areas where weapons training would be necessary.

 

3. No.

 

These is an interesting story in the most recent "Air and Space" magazine, subtitled "My Mom Flew Bombers", about a woman who went through the CPT program before joining the WASPs.

Thanks...

WASP UNIFORMS - INSIGNIA

 

Though WASPs were not allowed to wear marksmanship badges and wings denoting prior service with another organization (CPTP. CAP, WTS, etc.), they wer authorized to wear a ribbon bar. As WASPs were Civil Service employees of the AAF, they could be awarded and wear the AAF Six Month Faithful Service Ribbon. The attached photo, taken of a display in the San Diego Air and Space Museum shows the ribbon on the WASP Uniform.

WASP UNIFORMS - INSIGNIA

 

Though WASPs were not allowed to wear marksmanship badges and wings denoting prior service with another organization (CPTP. CAP, WTS, etc.), they wer authorized to wear a ribbon bar. As WASPs were Civil Service employees of the AAF, they could be awarded and wear the AAF Six Month Faithful Service Ribbon. The attached photo, taken of a display in the San Diego Air and Space Museum shows the ribbon on the WASP Uniform.

Thank you so much for that observation, and excellent photo.

 

Quite a few WASP had been in one or another legitimate pilot training program prior to signing up, so trying to sort out their proper insignia is an interesting quest for someone so uninformed as myself.

I am not sure what training WASP received, if it was formal firearms training and had to qualify like the men but they were often armed with side arms. Any time they ferried a plane equipped with a Norden Bomb Sight or any other classified material they were required to be armed.

There is much disagreement over whether or not WASP were ever armed, but I have read in a couple of books where WASP do talk about carrying 45s on some ferrying trips. I have also been told that the Norden bomb sight was one of the last items installed on the plane prior to leaving the US, so a WASP would never have carried it. However, I have been reading my copy of the book "Winning My Wings" (Naval Institute Press, 1996) by WASP Marion Stegeman Hodgson. In at least 2 specific places in the book, she mentions having to wear a .45 on her hip while ferrying planes carrying the Norden bombsight. Not saying it happened every day, but it *did* happen - and she specifically mentions the Norden sight. So, there obviously were instances when it was not the last item to be put on the plane before it went overseas, and instances where the WASP did wear sidearms. She also mentions ferrying planes with the Norden sight in a couple of other instances in the book.

 

She does not mention firearms training, and I have never read any information regarding WASP receiving any type of firearms training, and I have read quite a few books about the WASP. I would guess that if anything they perhaps received maybe one day's worth of training, or they were just handed a 45 prior to flight and given a quick "here's the trigger, etc" type talk. Unfortunately my WASP friend has now moved out of state and I no longer have contact with her to ask.

Thank you all, again. I had heard stories about them being sent up ferrying fighters over danger zones without ammo in their magazines, and had wondered a lot about any firearms training they may have had in service. Guess none... therefore no marksmanship quals.

 

Also, judging from the few (10-12?) Remembrances I've composed for them, the majority did have some pilot training prior to putting on the suit - so my thought was whether or not they got any credit for that as to earning the wings.

I'm sorry, I got so sidetracked thinking about sidearms that I forgot to address the wings question! :pinch:

 

WASP were required to have a pilot's license and a certain number of flight hours before they would be accepted into the program. At the start of the WAFS program, 500 flight hours and a commercial license were required. By the end of the WASP program, the requirements were reduced to 35 hours and they were accepting flight students.

 

So, yes, all WASP entering the training would have been qualified pilots, but that had no bearing on the receiving or wearing of the WASP wings. They only received those upon graduation. Trainees that did not complete graduation would not have been qualified to wear the WASP wings, regardless of prior training or service.

 

The only instance I have seen of a WASP wearing any other type of wing is Helen Richey, who had ATA wings on her santiago blues:

 

I looked up some photos from some of the other ladies who flew with the ATA before entering the WASP program, and it doesn't look like they had the ATA wings on their Santiago Blues.

 

The photo is Helen Richey, her is her bio:

http://www.airtransportaux.org/members/richey.html

On 9/25/2010 at 7:25 PM, fortworthgal said:

There is much disagreement over whether or not WASP were ever armed, but I have read in a couple of books where WASP do talk about carrying 45s on some ferrying trips. I have also been told that the Norden bomb sight was one of the last items installed on the plane prior to leaving the US, so a WASP would never have carried it. However, I have been reading my copy of the book "Winning My Wings" (Naval Institute Press, 1996) by WASP Marion Stegeman Hodgson. In at least 2 specific places in the book, she mentions having to wear a .45 on her hip while ferrying planes carrying the Norden bombsight. Not saying it happened every day, but it *did* happen - and she specifically mentions the Norden sight. So, there obviously were instances when it was not the last item to be put on the plane before it went overseas, and instances where the WASP did wear sidearms. She also mentions ferrying planes with the Norden sight in a couple of other instances in the book.

 

She does not mention firearms training, and I have never read any information regarding WASP receiving any type of firearms training, and I have read quite a few books about the WASP. I would guess that if anything they perhaps received maybe one day's worth of training, or they were just handed a 45 prior to flight and given a quick "here's the trigger, etc" type talk. Unfortunately my WASP friend has now moved out of state and I no longer have contact with her to ask.

 

I know this post is pretty old, but I have something to add to this, from the December 1976 WASP Newsletter: