A compelling biography, Teresa James WAFS Pilot: Gear Up/Gear Down: A P-47 to Newark by Sarah Byrn Rickman, brings to life the story of a determined young woman whose skills and dedication helped bring World War II to a victorious end.
Teresa James, born 1914 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was attracted to flying at an early age. Flying by herself by age 19, her early years of barnstorming and stunt flying honed her skills for what was to come later. When America was suddenly thrust into war with Japan, there was an urgent need for pilots to ferry new aircraft from the factories to training schools. Since men pilots were in great demand for combat, women pilots filled this vital role. Teresa became one of the early members of the “Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS).
Teresa knew how to fly, but now had to learn to fly “the Army way.” She and her fellow women pilots worked hard and soon became an integral part of the war effort. Their many accomplishments included ferrying pursuit fighter planes, high performance aircraft with a seat for only one pilot, recognized as the most important aircraft in World War II.
Teresa James WAFS Pilot is a well-written account of the importance women played in World War II. The author, through her personal association with many of “The Originals,” as they became known, has become an expert on the subject of WAFS, later known as WASP. She has written several books about various women pilots with the focus of encouraging young women to “reach for the stars.”