WASP Virginia Carolene Moffatt,
Class 43-W-2
(31 May 1912 – 5 October 1943)
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| Virginia Moffatt |
In early October, Virginia “Ginny”
Moffatt (43-W-2) was in Long Beach, California, getting ready for the next
days’ mission. Ginny’s assignment after graduation in May was the 6th Ferrying
Group, just 25 miles south of her Los Angeles home. Born May 31, 1912, in
Wheatland, Wyoming, Ginny was one of the oldest WASPs selected for service.
For months, she had flown ferrying
flights all over the country, but on October 5th, 1943, her mission
was much simpler, delivering BT-15s to the Cal-Aero Airfield between Chino and
Ontario, just over 30 miles away.
It was late in the afternoon when
31-year-old Ginny began her landing approach to the runway. Perhaps tired from
previous deliveries she had made that day, she came in too hard and overshot
her landing. She began her climb into a go-around for another try at a landing.
About a mile out from the airfield she started a turn, but at too steep of an
angle. The plane stalled and spiraled into a dive, crashed in a walnut orchard,
and burst into flame.
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| WASP Pilot Virginia Moffatt |
Virginia was the ninth WASP pilot to
die while flying for her country.
