Margaret Horton – WAAF

I just came across an earlier one again. From the AUCKLAND STAR, 30 MARCH 1940

RIGGER RIDES ON ‘PLANE BAREBACK.

NOVEL FLIGHT.

Taken Aloft On Spitfire Fighter.

SITS ASTRIDE FUSELAGE.

British Official Wireless. (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY. March 20.
A young aircraftsman, working as a rigger at an R.A.F. Fighter Command station, had the unique experience of “riding bareback” on a Spitfire machine, sitting astride the fuselage and facing tailwards.

The pilot, after taking off, was puzzled by the weight and the unresponsive behaviour of the tail of the aircraft, and made a circuit of the aerodrome. His passenger, gripping tight with his knees and arms, hung on grimly. Meanwhile, the ground staff, gravely anxious, summoned the medical officer and the emergency staff with equipment, including a fire engine. The pilot landed smoothly, the aircraftsman being none the worse.

So we have two survivors of an unplanned flight, I wonder if any others were not quite so lucky ?

How about this bloke?

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 5, 7 January 1944, Page 2

TAKEN FOR A RIDE

ON A SPITFIRE’S TAIL

AIRCRAFTMAN’S EXPERIENCE

LONDON, Jan. 2.

A Press correspondent at an advanced air base in Italy reports that a Spitfire pilot took off with a ground staff man sitting on the tail of the plane and reached a height of 600 ft before another pilot waggled his wings and directed attention to the “passenger.”

The ground staff man had been pressed against the tail fin by the slipstream. The man, Leading Aircraftman Stanley Dickerson, of Middlesex, said later: “The pilot forgot that I was riding on the tail to prevent the Spitfire from nosing over. I banged on the fuselage as the pilot opened the throttle, but he could not hear me.

“The pilot circled the airfield, and when he realised I was board, came down beautifully. I did not feel a bump, and jumped off quite O.K. The pilot resumed his patrol.”

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=AS19440107.2.13&srpos=110&e=01-01-1944–12-1945–10–101-byDA—0Italy–

Thank you, Bager1968.

In the second post here: http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?122560-Spitfire-took-off-with-WAAF-on-tail
Melvyn Hiscock said she is dead.

As he is still active here, perhaps you could ask him how he knows that?

Thank you, Mark.

The query was for a publisher we both know, then and now! 😉

Ref #1

I think not. Her scrap book was sold on ebay a couple or more years back, but I was an underbidder.

A nice period shot of here shortly after her ‘ride’ leaning against AB910 is in Vol. I of the boo.

Mark