White Cliffs of Dover FemWings salutes WASPs Women Airforce Service Pilots Memorial 1 The 38 female pilots who died flying military planes during the war, received no military recognition. The army didn't even pay for their burial expenses because the women were considered civilians. JANE DOLORES CHAMPLIN Class 43-W-4 Trainee Born: May 14, 1917 Chicago, Illinois Graduate: Arcadia College St. Louis University Jane entered flight training to become a WASP at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas on February 21, 1943. On the night of June 7, she and her instructor were killed in a BT-15 while on a training flight near Avenger Field. SUSAN PARKER CLARKE Class 44-W-Born: 1918 Cooperstown, New York Graduate: High school, Cooperstown Attended: Secretarial school, NY City. Susan entered WASP flight training at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas in September, 1943 and graduated on March 11, 1944. She was then stationed with the 33rd Ferrying Group at Fairfax Field, Kansas City, Missouri. She lost her life on July 4, 1944 when the BT-13 she was ferrying crashed near Columbia, South Carolina. MARJORIE LAVERNE DAVIS Class 44-W-9 Trainee Marjorie learned to fly in Sparks, Nevada, and entered training to become a WASP at Avenger field, Sweetwater, Texas in June, 1944. She was killed on the night of October 16, 1944 while on a cross country training flight in an AT-6 near Walnut, Mississippi. Top KATHERINE ‘KAY’ APPLEGATE DUSSAQ Class: 44-W-1 Born: Dayton, Washington Graduate: Harrington High School Attended: Stanford, Washington State College, Pullman, WA. and Whitman College, CA. Kay entered flight training to become a WASP at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas on August 9, 1943, and graduated on February 11, 1944. Her first duty station was Sioux Falls Army Air Base, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She was then transferred to Randolph Army Air Base, San Antonio, Texas (HQ/CFTC)), then to Fort Worth, Texas (FTC, Hq.) She was killed when the AT-6 she was flying on an administrative cross-country flight crashed on the night of November 26, 1944 near New Carlisle, Ohio. MARJORIE DORIS EDWARDS Class: 44-W-5 Trainee Born: September 28, 1918 Fullerton, California Graduate: Anaheim Union High School and Santa Barbara State College Marjorie entered WASP flight training at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas on December 7, 1943. She died in the crash of an AT-6 near Childress, Texas, while on a cross-country training flight. JAYNE ELIZABETH ERICKSON Class: 44-W-6 Trainee Born: April 24, 1921 Seattle, Washington Graduate: High School: Issaquah, Washington Attended: University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Top CORNELIA FORT Class: WAFS Born: February 5, 1919 Nashville, Tennessee Graduate: Ward-Belmont and  Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY. Cornelia reported for duty as a WAFS in October, 1942. She lost her life on March 21, 1943 in a mid-air collision near Abilene, Texas, while on a ferrying mission in a BT-13. Cornelia was the first casualty of an American woman pilot on active duty. FRANCES FORTUNE GRIMES Class: 43-W-3 Born: Deer Park, Maryland Graduate: High school, West Virginia West Virginia University University of Pittsburgh Frances entered WASP flight training at Houston Municipal Airport, Houston, Texas on January 15, 1943 and graduated at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, July 3, 1943. Her active duty assignment was to the 5th FG/ATC at Love Field, Dallas, Texas. She was killed shortly after take-off from Otis Field, Massachusetts in an A-24 attack bomber on March 27, 1944. MARY E. HARTSON Class: 43-W-5 Born: January 11, 1917 Portland, Oregon Graduated: Washington High School, Portland, Oregon Mary entered flight training to become a WASP on April 6, 1943 at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas and was graduated on September 11, 1943. She was progressively stationed at four different bases: Dodge City Army Air Base, Kansas; Coffeyville Army Air Base, Kansas; Independence Army Air Field, Kansas and Perrin Army Air Base, Sherman, Texas. She was killed on August 14, 1944, while flight testing a BT-13 at Perrin. Top MARY HOLMES HOWSON Class: 44-W-4 Trainee Born: February 16, 1919 Wayne, Pennsylvania Graduate: Smith College Mary began her flight training to become a WASP on November 1, 1943 at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas. While returning from a cross-country flight in a PT-19, Mary was killed in a mid-air collision in the traffic pattern at Avenger Field, on April 16, 1944-- just three weeks before her scheduled graduation. EDITH ‘EDY’ CLAYTON KEENE Class: 44-W-1 Born: Canton, Montana Graduate: Pomona schools Pomona Junior College and UCLA On August 9, 1943, Edith arrived at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas to begin training to become a WASP, and graduated on February 11, 1944. She was assigned to Hondo Army Air Field, Hondo, Texas and later transferred to Moore Army Air Base, Mission, Texas. She was killed on April 25, 1944 while on a routine flight in an AT-6 that crashed near Mission. KATHRYN BARBARA LAWRENCE Class: 43-W-8 Trainee Born: December 3, 1920 Grand Forks, North Dakota Graduate: High school, Grand Forks University of North Dakota Kathryn entered training to become a WASP at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas on July 10. 1943. She was killed on August 4, 1943, while flying a PT-19 on a routine training flight at Avenger Field. Top | WINGS ACROSS AMERICA