Mary Ellis ATA has passed away.

Hi All,
Another of the many unsung heroes of WWII (This case heroines) who I think played a vital part to the RAF’s role in WWII.

May you rest in peace now Mary Ellis….:angel:

Geoff.

It’s widely publicised that she was the last of the female ATA Spitfire deliverers.

In reality I think that is factually incorrect

https://haa-uk.aero/eleanor-wadsworth-nee-fish-ata-wartime-pilot/

Moggy

In fairness all three have lived life to its fullest extent . We are not in a position to have seen life taken away so frequently through combat or accident -I imagine they all considered themselves blessed.

A very sad couple of weeks….. 🙁

Blue skies, Mary.

Thank you Mary and others like you in the ATA. What turn would the war have taken without you all?

Very sad news as always, and with the recent passing of Tom Neil and Geoffrey Wellum, it makes you realise how important it has been that their lives have caught the public’s eye over the last few years.

As Oxcart says as regards the new Spitfire documentary, they made it just in time!

Cheers

Paul

Another star of the recent Spitfire documentary gone. They made it just in time! R.I.P. Mary.

Sad news . RIP Mary Ellis, blue skies.

The BBC report which I heard featured her talking about delivering a Wellington. Was the BBC not risking the general public thinking that she worked for a footwear manufacturer!

I heard the BBC report and rolled my eyes at ‘Fighter pilot’ , but the main thing is her life /story ( a little bit ) was reported, and has some place in the national consciousness, which is a good thing. The fact she happened to be female would certainly boost the story right up the schedule for the BBC.

It is clichéd and predictable to talk about Spitfires, but I suppose if the reports mention Blackburn Bothas and Fairey Albacores. it won’t mean much to most people!

There is always sadness when anyone passes away, but for Mary Ellis not too much really, as she had reached a great age, and had certainly had quite a life. I think it is the ending of the living link to those testing but inspirational times that we mourn.

One of my favourite photos is of Mary at the controls of Swallow G-AFGE over the Solent on a perfect summer day in the 1970’s, flying for the love of it.

R I P Brave lady Thank you .

I agree with all the sentiments above and offer my thanks to all those who gave everything for our futures.
I include thanks for those remaining so that they also understand how grateful I am.

I hope we never have to ask our younger generation to stand up and be counted as they were. I fear that the response would not be worthy of previous sacrifices.

As others have said, a very sad month. There’s no escaping the inevitable, but losing three key figures so close together makes things all the harder to take. Lives lived to the full, and I’m sure all three will be talked about for many years to come.

RIP Mary Ellis.

Another big loss to this community – she will be sorely missed by us but more so by her relatives and close friends to whom we offer our thoughts and condolences.

hi morning,
a very sad month, that extraordinary generation are leaving us, and all we can do is to say “thank you, for all you did”… and remember them.

Blue skies ma’am.

regards,
jack…

According to the BBC Radio 4 news broadcast at 09:00 today she was ‘a fighter pilot’. Is that the habitually sloppy journalism of the BBC? Or is that a new brand of BBC disingenuity? Yes, she was a pilot. Yes, she flew fighter aeroplanes. But that doesn’t make her ‘a fighter pilot’. It seems that her ATA service was not enough for the BBC and so it felt it necessary to put a spin on the facts.

Truly a great generation, who rose to the challenge and triumphed. RIP Mary and all of them.

R.I.P. Mary.

HUGE respect for the ATA pilots…

RIP Mary

It’s been one a week the last 3 weeks, Tom, Geoff and now Mary.
R.I.P. Mary one of a very special generation.