Atta-girl!

The women of aviation in the second world war often did not get the same accolades as fighter pilots but their job was hard, dangerous and often overlooked.
But without them, many things that needed to be done, would have had to be taken by men.
One was Jane Winstone.
Jane was born in Whanganui on September 1912 to chemist Arthur George Winstone and LIna Storme Clapham.
She began flying at the age of 16 as a hobby becoming a foundation member of the Whanganui Aero Club, going solo at 17 and became the country’s youngest female pilot.
Jane left school to work in her father’s chemist shop but continued flying, often in pageants around the country.
In 1934 she and three other women pilots flew their de Havilland Gipsy Moths to meet aviatrix Jean Batten during her tour and flew with her.
It was through flying she met fellow pilot Angus Carr MacKenzie. They got engaged and in 1940 he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force and became a commissioned officer.
Jane was also keen to help the war efforts and offered her services to the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) in Britian. ATA ferried aircraft from factories or maintenance units, delivered and collected mail, signals and secret documents and transported personnel on urgent duties
She was accepted but had to make her own way to Britain to have medical and flying tests.
Just as Jane was leaving for England she got word that her fiance was missing on a raid over Essen. His body was never recovered.
She continued on passing her tests - one of five New Zealanders among the 90 women who served with the ATA. (They were called Atta Girls) She had to learn how to fly many different aircraft.
It was definitely dangerous, mostly they flew solo and radio contact was forbidden.
They also had to keep watch for hazards.
Jane flew Supermarine Spitfires, Hawker Hurricanes and even a Gloster Gladiator used in film. She often delivered them to airbases for other pilots.
It was during a flight in a Spitfire on its way for maintenance on February 10, 1944 that her plane engine failed and she spun into the ground.
She was 31 years old and held the rank of lieutenant. She was buried in the local cemetery - Maidenhead - in a section set aside for ATA deaths. She was one of 16 women from ATA killed during the war.
A retirement villa in Whanganui is named after her.
Photo by the Wanganui Chronicle.​