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| Women WWII pilots to be honoured | Women WWII pilots to be honoured |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Men and women who flew Spitfires and other planes between bases during World War II are to be honoured with a special merit award. | Men and women who flew Spitfires and other planes between bases during World War II are to be honoured with a special merit award. |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the move after a call from Scottish MP Nigel Griffiths. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the move after a call from Scottish MP Nigel Griffiths. |
| The surviving 15 women and 100 men who served in the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) are eligible for the honour. | The surviving 15 women and 100 men who served in the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) are eligible for the honour. |
| Their job was to ferry Spitfires, bombers and other aircraft back to factories for repair. | Their job was to ferry Spitfires, bombers and other aircraft back to factories for repair. |
| The Air Transport Auxiliary was made up of old World War I pilots, injured airmen and well-to-do women who had private flying experience. | The Air Transport Auxiliary was made up of old World War I pilots, injured airmen and well-to-do women who had private flying experience. |
| Amy Johnson, the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia, died on an ATA flight. | Amy Johnson, the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia, died on an ATA flight. |
| She was one of 154 ATA pilots who were killed doing their dangerous work. | She was one of 154 ATA pilots who were killed doing their dangerous work. |
| The other airwomen who flew those missions included Wendy Sale-Barker, aunt of the Conservative politician Lord James Douglas-Hamilton. | The other airwomen who flew those missions included Wendy Sale-Barker, aunt of the Conservative politician Lord James Douglas-Hamilton. |
| Amy Johnson was one of the pilots who died on an ATA flight | Amy Johnson was one of the pilots who died on an ATA flight |
| He said: "She was enormously modest and would never speak about what she had done, but she was one of the first women pilots in Britain." | He said: "She was enormously modest and would never speak about what she had done, but she was one of the first women pilots in Britain." |
| The women were not themselves allowed to fight, but they ferried the Spitfires from the factories to the front line. Many of them died when the aircraft developed engine trouble. | |
| Lord James said that on one occasion his aunt crashed on her way from Cape Town to Cairo and had to be rescued from the Kenyan bush. | Lord James said that on one occasion his aunt crashed on her way from Cape Town to Cairo and had to be rescued from the Kenyan bush. |
| Speaking about the honour, he said: "I think they were able to fly every bit as well as the men and they did not receive the recognition which many of us feel they deserved. | Speaking about the honour, he said: "I think they were able to fly every bit as well as the men and they did not receive the recognition which many of us feel they deserved. |
| "It is very refreshing indeed that they are now receiving that recognition belatedly, but they did give invaluable service to their country - notwithstanding their quite excessive modesty." | "It is very refreshing indeed that they are now receiving that recognition belatedly, but they did give invaluable service to their country - notwithstanding their quite excessive modesty." |
| Mr Griffiths said it was high time the men and women of the ATA were properly recognised for their contribution to the war effort. | Mr Griffiths said it was high time the men and women of the ATA were properly recognised for their contribution to the war effort. |