National Air and Space Museum Archives
History of the Women Pilots in the Air Ferrying Division, ATC Collection
United States. Army. Air Corps
Marx, Walter J.
NASM.2021.0019
Archival Resource Key
0.39 Cubic feet
One letter document case.
1942-1945
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.
English
.
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
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.
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
Arranged by material type.
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
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Paul Marx, Gift, 2021, NASM.2021.0019
Preferred Citation
History of the Women Pilots in the Air Ferrying Division, ATC Collection, NASM.2021.0019, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Processing Information
Arranged, described, and encoded by Patti Williams, 2021
Aeronautics
World War, 1939-1945
Reports
Color transparencies
Women air pilots
Love, Nancy
Women Airforce Service Pilots (U.S.)
United States. Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron
History of the Women Pilots in the Ferrying Division, ATC, Part 1, Beginning to page 250
Archival Resource Key
1
1
"History of the Women Pilots in the Ferrying Division, ATC"
History of the Women Pilots in the Ferrying Division, ATC, Part 2, Page 251 to end
Archival Resource Key
1
2
Rewrites of History of the Women Pilots in the Ferrying Division, ATC
Archival Resource Key
1
3
Rewrites of "History of the Women Pilots in the Ferrying Division, ATC"
History of the WASPs in Air Transport Command 1945 - memos
Archival Resource Key
1
4
"History of the WASPs in Air Transport Command 1945" - memos
Memo regarding the questioning of WASPs in Lebanon, TN
Archival Resource Key
1
5
Memo regarding the questioning of WASPs in Lebanon, TN
Photocopies of various WAFs images and newspaper reprint
Archival Resource Key
1
6
Photocopies of various WAFs images and newspaper reprint
Color Transparencies of WAFs
Archival Resource Key
1
7
Color Transparencies of WAFs
Northwest Route under the Ferrying Division Air Transport Command, June 16, 1942 – Nov.1 1942
Archival Resource Key
1
8
"Northwest Route under the Ferrying Division Air Transport Command, June 16, 1942 – Nov.1 1942"