The second episode of Channel 4’s WW2: Women on the Front Line explores the contributions and sacrifices of female pilots, journalists, guerrillas, and spies during World War II. The episode, titled “The War in the Air,” highlights the stories of women who took to the skies, fighting for freedom and against fascism.
The narrative centres on the experiences of several remarkable women, including Jackie Moggridge, Marina Raskova, Melitta Von Stauffenburg, and Hanna Reitsch. During the Battle of Britain in June 1940, women pilots played a crucial role in ferrying fighter planes from factories to the front line. Jackie Moggridge, a member of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), navigated enemy aircraft, British barrage balloons, buzz bombs, and unpredictable weather to deliver over 1,400 aircraft throughout the war.
Marina Raskova, a skilled navigator and pilot with the Soviet air force, persuaded Stalin to establish three female bombing regiments. These women bravely flew night-time raids against the advancing German frontline, earning them the legendary nickname, “The Night Witches.”
The episode also looks into the lives of Melitta Von Stauffenburg and Hanna Reitsch, whose skills as pilots were utilised by opposing forces. Von Stauffenburg found herself seconded to the Luftwaffe as a test pilot at the outbreak of war, performing thousands of test dives. Meanwhile, Reitsch, an ardent supporter of Hitler and the Nazi regime, tested some of Germany’s most experimental and dangerous planes, becoming a poster girl for Nazi propaganda.
The stories of these courageous women, including 98-year-old Grace Taylor, a former gunner girl in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), who defended the port of Plymouth during the war, show the diverse roles played by women during World War II and their significant contributions to the war effort.
WW2: Women on the Frontline – The War in the Air airs on Channel 4, Saturday 10 August 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
