Mrs Gertrude Tompkins Silver of the WASP.  In 1944, she took off from Los Angeles in a new North American P-51D Mustang fighter, on a mission to deliver it to a location in New Jersey.  She never completed that mission.  There is some contemporary witness evidence to suggest that she crashed into the sea shortly after take-off as a result of a malfunction in the aircraft.  However, searches at the time failed to locate the aeroplane or its pilot.  In recent times the search has been renewed; I hope for her family that it may yet prove successful.  Gertrude Tompkins Silver had married just one month before what was, almost certainly, the day of her death.  She was 32 years old.  Rest in Peace.  Best regards, JR.

WASP (3)

Elizabeth Gardner of the USA's wartime WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots).  The WASP were civilian women (there were, I believe, 1,043 of them) whose duties involved aircraft &quot;ferrying&quot; (delivering military aircraft to their designated posts) and military pilot training.  Efforts during the war to gain them military status failed, in part, owing to objections from male civilian pilots attached to the US forces.  This status was finally granted retrospectively, in 1977.

WASP.

Colorized by CupOfJoe, I think it might be a B-17F one piece plexy glass nose not sure, also it could of been bought down by Flak, just a guess?  Newer AirForce insignia. I dont know the BG?