The most famous of all female flyers.
In 1930 she flew solo to Australia in a Gypsy Moth and was awarded the CBE in the King's Birthday Honors. She married Jim Mollison and together they flew to the USA hoping to complete the journey without a break. 55 miles short of their destination they were forced to crash land when they ran out of fuel. They were awarded with a ticker tape parade along New York's Broadway.
The marriage broke up and after the outbreak of war Amy became a pilot in the women's section of the Air Transport Auxiliary, flying vital machines and men to various destinations.
On 5 January 1941 Amy disappeared, believed drowned, when her plane crashed into the Thames Estuary. No trace of her body has ever been found.
A true pioneering heroine.
ReplyDeleteShe was a heroine to many of the women in the ATA - I've read some books on the history of the ATA and of course there were many other unsung heroines in it along with Amy. She left an intriguing mystery when she disappeared - a bit like Elvis there are heaps of theories as to what happened to her. Great choice!
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