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1938

By December, millions of tons of food will have arrived from the U.S.

Their presence will prevent Axis sympathizers from taking over the government there. In early June, British and Free French troops will invade Syria and Lebanon to prevent those countries from being taken over by the Germany.

first Ferry Command Lend-Lease planes land in Maine and the crews shove them across the border to waiting British and Canadian pilots.

Olds requests she put together a plan for implementing such a plan.

Olds disagrees, sends secret report to Arnold.

This meeting, which begins off the coast of Newfoundland, will result in the Atlantic Charter, which contains eight points of agreement on the aims of the war.

Arnold suggests Cochran accept the British request for American women pilots. Cochran packs up her office and leaves.

Cochran goes over Col. Olds and  writes Gen Arnold re her meeting with Pres and Mrs. Roosevelt, and requests meeting with him.

On the 31st, the American destroyer Reuben James is sunk by a German U-boat, killing 100.

Arnold agrees that Cochran should develop a plan for training women to fly military aircraft.

She will take the job only if it is clearly understood that when the time comes she will be called on and be free to return from England to direct the work of women pilots at home.

The attack precedes Japan's formal declaration of war, which is delivered by the Japanese foreign minister to the U.S. embassy in Tokyo more than seven hours later.

Roosevelt signs the declaration of war.

President Roosevelt calls an end to official U.S. neutrality in the war in Europe, declaring war on Germany and Italy.

Jackie’s list of would-be ATA pilots rises toward the desired number of twenty-five.

Col. Tunner given command of Domestic Wing of Ferrying Division.

Worst year of the war for the United States

Cochran contacts Arnold about the problem.

Jackie writes a note to Gen. Arnold and delivers it to his residence. (Gen. Olds plan is in direct conflict with the plan for the woman’s unit in England and would wash out Cochran as supervisor of women flyers for the US.)

Cochran signs contract that would dissolve if/when the AAF called upon her services. She would return to the US within 6 months.. She must be in England when first girls arrive

The interned Japanese-Americans lose an estimated 400 million dollars in property, as their homes and possessions are taken from them.

The 25 American women pilots follow. Some go via air, some via ship. They train and start flying for Britain.

Major Love and wife, Nancy Harkness Love both work for ATC.

Nationwide rationing will begin in September.

Arnold in Walter Reed Hospital May 12-22

B-17s of 8^th AF to arrive June 7

Wants her to return to US to organize. Cochran obligated to finish ferrying plans in England for 8^th AF. Will leave for US as soon as possible. She will be delayed getting back.

Gen. George and Tunner confer about plans for women fliers. Tunner (at New Castle) details how to utilize women pilots.

Love drafts a proposal to hire women.

Tunner dictates report to Col. Becker at New Castle Air Base that 25 women pilots will be there Aug. l. Sends copy to Hobby at WAAC. Hobby sees no way to incorporate them into WAAC.

Women would be restricted to flying AAF smallest trainers and liaison planes, etc..

Consent from Arnold unnecessary. Ferrying Division had permission to hire civilians, including women.

Gen. Arnold requests she come home. Starts the paper-work.

German defenders abort the raid and 3,500 Canadians are lost.

The battle will claim the lives of 750,000 Russian soldiers, 400,000 German soldiers, nearly 200,000 Romanian soldiers, 130,000 Italian soldiers, and 120,000 Hungarian soldiers.

Cochran about to board airplane in England to come  home. She is stopped. Asked to delay. (Later Cochran thinks purposefully delayed.)

Prematurely, news hits newspapers. Cochran sees it when she lands in N.Y.. She’s furious. Calls Arnold. He can’t see her until the 12^th.

Arnold calls in George and his Deputy CO, Smith.

Smith submits memo to Arnold outlining Cochran plans to train women and qualifications for entrance.

They will get 4 weeks of transition training at New Castle (not pilot training.)

School to be run by civilian contractor, Aviation Enterprises.

Nancy Love goes to investigate bases where first class will go—see what needs are, housing, what planes will ferry. New Castle can’t handle all the projected graduates.

Cochran writes to FTC about future flying assignments for women flight graduates.

Housing found at tourist courts.

At New Castle, WAFS deliver first airplanes.

At the University of Chicago's Staff Field, the first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction is realized by a team of scientists working under the name of the "Manhattan Engineering District."

PT-19s and BT-13s begin to arrive.

Flying Training Command receives notice lst class Houston will graduate in Feb.(New Castle can’t take all of them.)

The rocket has been designed by 30 year-old rocket engineer Wernher von Braun.

At the end of 1942, there are 24 WAFS ferrying Cub stuff and a few ferrying PT-19 trainers.

The group transitions on BTs & ferry ½ dozen.

During the conference, Roosevelt announces the war can end only with an unconditional German surrender.

One by one 6 pilots in Romulus cadre report to 3^rd Ferrying Group

Orders from AAF Hq: "All new members of WAFS will have to be processed thru the WFTD".

Previously established goal of graduating 396 women pilots that year doubled to a goal of 750 graduates.

In the U.S., shoe rationing begins, limiting civilians to three pairs of leather shoes per year. The ration in Britain is one pair per year.

First week girls are at the base, there are over 100 ‘emergency’ landings. Cochran closes base except to real emergencies. Forever more called, "Cochran’s Convent".

Gen. Stratemeyer to Gen George: "Women pilot graduates of flying training schools will be accepted by AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND."

The group of women will grow to 1,000 by March 8 and will succeed in forcing Joseph Goebbels to order the release of 1,500 men.

Aviation Enterprises and all WFTD training will go to Avenger. (Program to last 22 ½ weeks; 170 flight hours).

½ of 43-4 flying at Avenger.

President Roosevelt freezes wages, salaries, and prices.

The Aerial ambush kills Japanese admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who planned the Pearl Harbor attack.

319th now history

Graduates wear white shirts and khaki pants—forever known as ‘general’s pants’.

Cochran plans for Vesper Services at Avenger, with different local pastors each Sunday

This develops into a healthy and tranquil relationship.

World's first operational jet bomber, the German Arado Ar-234V-1 Blitz, makes its first flight.

Love makes big hit with trainees.

WAFS head, Nancy Love will be the executive and direct the women of the Air Transport Command. She will movve from Long Beach to ATC/FD Hq. in Cincinnati.

Marching in 43, because she does not need primary instruction, is Helen Richey (back from England). She had been Amelia Earhart’s co-pilot in same plane that later disappeared.

43-6 begins flying BTs

An invasion of Sicily begins by British paratroopers and American airborne troops.

Women pilots arrive, Camp Davis—first assignment other than ferrying for women pilots..

It is also the longest major bombing mission to date in terms of distance from base to target

First WFTD trainee killed at Avenger (43-8) Flying PT. Bailed out. Parachute failed to open. (Trainees have donated to a fund—now used to pay for an escort to accompany the body home.)

German fighters down 60 of the 376 American aircraft.

All women pilots are to transition on multi-engine and high power single engine airplanes.

Training and missions extended to include target-towing, glider towing, radar calibration flights, co-piloting bombers and flying bombardier training missions.

When the U.S. Fifth Army lands at Salerno, they sustain heavy losses.

Cochran says, let WASP do it. Air Staff agrees. Camp Davis WASP used successfully.

WFTD training increased to 27 weeks in 3 nine week phases.  Flying to 210 hours, 66 in military training, 300 hours academic plus physical training.

As a result, the Germans will disperse their ball-bearing manufacturing, but the cost of the raid is high; 60 of the 291 B-17s launched do not return, 138 more are damaged.

Class 44-3 enters training

Ninth Air Force begins Operation Crossbow raids, against German bases where secret weapons are being developed.

Class 44-5 arrives in Sweetwater

Ferrying Division opens Pursuit School in Palm Spings.  56 WASP assigned to pursuit transition.

Class 44-6 enters training

British Royal Air Force bombs Berlin

Mediterranean Allied Air Forces fly 1,200 sorties in support of Operation Shingle, the amphibious landings at Anzio, Italy.

Class 44-7 enters training

Pursuit Training: 27 completed course, 1 killed

In anticipation of militarization in the offing, General Arnold, in his address to the graduates, said, "I'm looking forward to the day when Women Airforce Service Pilots take the place of practically all the male pilots of the AAF in this country for the duration.  Indeed, this organization has come serve a variety of useful purposes in the Army Air Forces organization. We're proud of you and we welcome you as a part of the Army Air Forces."

General Arnold appears before House military Affairs Committee to request commissions for WASP

WASP must go through Officers' Training School

Male civilian pilots form lobby to attack WASP militarization bill

Class 44-9 arrives for training

Many classes co-ed. Others for WASP only

Anti-WASP campaign by media to aid CAA contract school instructors to protect them against draft into the walking Army.

WASP may not respond to the vicious printed attacks.

Class 44-10 arrives for training

2nd group has already reported

Allied pilots fly approximately 15,000 sorties on D-Day. It is an effort unprecedented in concentration and size.

Future classes in Orlando are canceled

Eager members of Class 45-1 start reporting to Avenger Field. They will have to return home, at their own expense.

The Tokyo government collapses within 2 weeks.

The first Aphrodite mission (a radio-controlled B-17 carrying 20,000 pounds of TNT) is flown against V-2 rocket sites in the Pas de Calais section of France.

As of Nov. 20, WASP may resign in good standing.

44-10 from Dec. 27 to Dec. 7

Belgrade is captured by Soviet Russian and Yugoslav partisan troops.

The first XXI Bomber Command raid will be made Nov. 24, when 88 B-29s bomb the city.

Over 100 WASP attend from bases all over the country.

Two weeks of intense fighting in brutal winter weather follow before the German offensive is stopped.

From 1939 to 1945, one third of the Jews living in the world will have died in German concentration and extermination camps.

General McArthur 'returns' and enters Manila. The city will be completely retaken in less than three weeks.

the firestorm created by the bombing kills an estimated 135,000.

In a change of tactics in order to double bomb loads, Twentieth Air Force sends more than 300 B-29s from the Marianas against Tokyo in a low-altitude, incendiary night raid, destroying about one fourth of the city.

Possessing Japan's last line of radar defense to warn against American air attacks, Iwo Jima is a strategically significant prelude to the invasion of Okinawa

Allies liberate Buchenwald and Belsen concentration camps

Russian forces reach  Berlin.

The U.S., Russia, England, and France agree to split occupied Germany into eastern and western halves.

12,500 Americans have died on Okinawa as well.

The city is leveled, and an estimated 100,000 people are killed immediately (another 100,000 will die later from radiation sickness and burns).

To date, nearly 55 million people have died in the Second World War, including 25 million in the Soviet Union, nearly 8 million in China, and more than 6 million in Poland.

Jacqueline Cochran witnesses the surrender

Jacqueline Cochran in attendance