Those Magnificent Girls in Their Flying Machines. Any plane to anywhere. The whole spectrum of flying machinery, no problem. I love them all for what they did. Cheers Keith
There were a lot of women participating from the Russian side. Around 600 000 in total, many of whom were pilots and even some commanders. It would take a lot to speak about each of them. So, I'll start from the first today, and then I will continue to write even more about each one: Marina Raskova. Worked in an aero-navigation laboratory of the Civil Airacademy since 1932. She has become a navigator in 1934 and has flown for long distances on training. During WWII, she worked as a commander of a bombarding air regiment. Died in an air-crush. Wrote a book "Navigator's Notes." Burried in the Kremlin Wall.
Evdokiya Bershanskaya. Guards Lieutenant Colonel. Finished an air-school for pilots in 1932. Since 1933, worked as pilot instructor. Entered the fighting scene of WWII in February, 1942. Was a commander of the female 588th lightbombarding night regiment. Has implemented 20 flights herself. Under her command, the regiment consisting of women only got up in the air 23 672 times. Overall, they have dropped over 3000 tonnes of bombs on the Nazis. 23 female pilots form her regiment became the carriers of the Soviet top-award - Hero of the Soviet Union. After the war, she worked in the Committee of the Soviet Women and in the Committee of the WWII Veterans.
Valeriya Khomyakova. A participant of WWII since February, 1942. She was the first out of the Soviet women to have shot down an enemy plane in a night fight. Died implementing a military task under the city of Saratov.
I just found this lecture, I have not had a chance to screen it ut I thought to bring it to your attention:
