They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Monument to First Officer Dora Lang, All Saints Maidenhead Cemetery, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.
Dora Lang was born in 1915. After the outbreak of World War Two, Dora joined the ATA, Air Transport Auxiliary service.
However on 2nd March 1844, whilst flying her de Havilland Mosquito FB. Mrk VI on approach to the RAF station at Lasham, Hampshire, Dora undershot her landing. In an attempt to correct her mistake Dora 'opened up' her aircraft and climbed 150ft before the engines stalled. The aircraft then flipped to the left and ploughed into the ground. Dora was killed instantly.
Also killed in the accident was Flight Engineer Janice Margaret Harrington.
De Havilland Mosqutio FB Mrk VI at Lasham RAF Station 1944.
Thank you for sharing this tragic story, so often the bravery of the women of the ATA to perform the crucial task of keeping airfields supplied with planes during the war has gone unnoticed.
ReplyDeleteMy local cemetery, All Saints Maidenhead Cemetery, has a small ATA section with many of the graves being that of women. With White Waltham Airfield not far away. They were very brave and many of them younger than myself. I couldn't imagine doing what they did to make a difference.
DeleteA sad find in that they were two women helping with the war effort and were killed in an accident
ReplyDeleteMany of the ATA were woman and many of them died whilst trying to transport aircraft to RAF Airfields. They were very brave.
DeleteI always appreciate that you have your Wednesday posts to bring some of these people's stories to light.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing on Taphophile Tragics!