National Air and Space Museum Archives

History of the Women Pilots in the Air Ferrying Division, ATC Collection

Summary

NASM 9A18304, Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) pilots in the cockpit of a North American AT-6 Texan. History of the Women Pilots in the Air Ferrying Division, ATC Collection, NASM..2021.0019
NASM 9A18304, Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) pilots in the cockpit of a North American AT-6 Texan. History of the Women Pilots in the Air Ferrying Division, ATC Collection, NASM..2021.0019
Collection ID:
NASM.2021.0019
Creators:
United States. Army. Air Corps
Marx, Walter J.
Dates:
1942-1945
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.39 Cubic feet
One letter document case.
Repository:
This collection consists of Major Walter Marx's report
History of the Women Pilots in the Air Ferrying Division, ATC
along with related memoranda and rewrites. The collection also contains six color transparencies of WAFs, a memorandum discussing discrimination the WASPS faced while in Lebanon Tennessee in 1943, and the Northwest Route under the Ferrying Division Air Transport Command, June 16, 1942-November 1, 1942 Report.
This collection is in English.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of Major Walter Marx's report
History of the Women Pilots in the Air Ferrying Division, ATC
along with related memoranda and rewrites. The collection also contains six color transparencies of WAFs, a memorandum discussing discrimination the WASPS faced while in Lebanon Tennessee in 1943, and the
Northwest Route under the Ferrying Division Air Transport Command, June 16, 1942-November 1, 1942 Report
.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Arranged by material type.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Nancy Harkness Love's 1942 proposal to set up a group of female pilots to ferry aircraft from factories to air bases during World War II was approved as the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). Love commanded this unit until August 5, 1943, when the WAFS were merged with the newly formed Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) and she was named the executive for all WASP ferrying operations. From light aircraft, the WASPs advanced quickly to fly every Air Corps aircraft in use at the time. With the exception of aerial gunnery and formation flying, these women received the same training as the male pilots. WASPs ferried planes, towed targets, flew cargo, simulated bombing missions, performed radio control, flight tested aircraft, gave instrument instruction, and performed many other duties. Their work allowed more men to participate in aviation combat roles'.
Walter J. Marx held a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University. Marx taught at the College of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia and Catholic University in Washington before serving four years in the Air Force, where he reached the rank of major. During his service, Marx wrote the 600 page report History of the Women Pilots in the Air Ferrying Division, ATC. After the war he worked at the State Department.

Administration

Author
Patti Williams
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Paul Marx, Gift, 2021, NASM.2021.0019
Processing Information
Arranged, described, and encoded by Patti Williams, 2021

Digital Content

NASM 9A18304, Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) pilots in the cockpit of a North American AT-6 Texan. History of the Women Pilots in the Air Ferrying Division, ATC Collection, NASM..2021.0019
NASM 9A18304, Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) pilots in the cockpit of a North American AT-6 Texan. History of the Women Pilots in the Air Ferrying Division, ATC Collection, NASM..2021.0019
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Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Preferred Citation
History of the Women Pilots in the Air Ferrying Division, ATC
Collection, NASM.2021.0019, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
World War, 1939-1945 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Color transparencies Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women air pilots Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Love, Nancy Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women Airforce Service Pilots (U.S.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
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