Maidenhead Heritage Centre

f847f5af-72e9-4f3f-925e-e9cd870a0f0f
  • News
  • Donating
  • Jobs & Volunteers
  • Membership
  • Mailing list
  • Contact the centre
  • Home
  • Overview
  • What’s On
    • Events, Exhibitions & Talks
    • Permanent Exhibitions
      • Story of Maidenhead
      • “Grandma Flew Spitfires”
      • Spitfire Simulator Experience
    • Family Activities
    • Hire a Speaker
    • Previous exhibitions
  • Online Exhibitions
    • Littlewick Green
    • Let’s celebrate!
    • Jewel of the Thames
    • Women in Green
    • WW2 Posters
    • Town Centre 1964
    • All the World’s a Stage
    • Memories of D-Day
    • Skindles
  • Schools
    • Homework Help!
    • KS1 & KS2
    • Secondary Schools
    • Group Visits
  • Research
    • Browse and Search
    • Local History
      • Chronology
      • A-Z Hall of Fame
    • Maps
    • Copyright
    • Panoramic Photographs
  • Getting Here
    • Find Us & Parking
    • Opening Times
    • Accessibility
    • Admission Charges
    • Families
    • School & Group Visits
  • Online Shop
  • Air Transport Auxiliary
    • About the ATA [atamuseum.org]
    • “Grandma Flew Spitfires”
    • ATA News [atamuseum.org]
    • Gallery
    • Stories & Diaries [atamuseum.org]
    • Research Services

February 1, 2017 By Richard

Spitfire girl’s 100th birthday

Mary Ellis, one of Air Transport Auxiliary’s most accomplished female pilots, celebrated her 100th birthday on February 2nd.   Mary was born at Leafield near Fairford in Gloucestershire and not a million miles from RAF Brize Norton.  She joined ATA in October 1941 and served until the end of December 1945.  For almost all that time she was based at No.15 Ferry Pool at Hamble, one of two ATA bases staffed entirely by women.  With the Supermarine factory just round the corner in Southampton, Spitfire deliveries were the bread and butter of Hamble pilots.  Mary ferried 403 Spitfires, including 70 out of Eastleigh airfield.  She qualified as a First Officer and was authorised to fly all aircraft types up to Class 4 operational twin engined planes such as the Mosquto and the Wellington, which ATA pilots flew solo.    On one occasion she delivered a Wellington and the ground crew would not believe she was the pilot until they searched the aircraft from one end to the other.  Mary has just published her autobiography “A Spitfire Girl” in which she describes her action-packed career which spans almost a century of aviation.  From Tiger Moths to Hurricanes and Spitfires, from Wellington Bombers to post-war jets, Mary’s desire to take to the skies has never faltered.  “A Spitfire Girl” is available from the Maidenhead Heritage Centre shop on  http://maidenheadheritage.org.uk/shop/     It is a great read and if you buy the book from us you will supporting our work to preserve the ATA story for future generations.

Ellis1

Ellis3A Spitfire Girl - Mary Ellis front cover

Filed Under: News

Donate

Recent Posts

  • Open for fun this week
  • Spitfire Simulator flights available this week
  • Christmas and New Year opening times
  • Middle-earth comes to Bray
  • Boundary Walk 2020

Archives

  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • October 2019
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • February 2017
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2014
  • February 2014

Supported by

RBWM logo Adverstiser Charitable Trust logo Heritage Lottery Fund logo Accredited Museum logo


Colemans logo


Tsohost.CharityHosting.MPU

TSE 2018 logo 

Facebook icon Twitter icon TripAdvisor logo Great West Way logo
Site map | Contact us | Privacy Policy | Tel: 01628 780555 Email:info@maidenheadheritage.org.uk
Copyright © 2022 Maidenhead Heritage Centre, 18 Park Street, Maidenhead, SL6 1SL
Charity number: 1045746