When I look back, I think it is absolutely remarkable what was achieved by the ATA

Martin NicholsonATA Veteran

MEN and women who served in the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) during the second world war were honoured by the Prime Minister during a reception in Downing Street yesterday (09 September) and among those awarded a special badge of recognition for their contribution to the war effort was 83-year-old Martin Nicholson from Otley in West Yorkshire.

The men and women of the ATA, including the female pilots known as the 'Spitfire Women', delivered over 309,000 aircraft between factories and front line airfields during the war and returned them when they were damaged.

Martin Nicholson was 20 when he joined the ATA, and he worked as a third officer / pilot. He served for two years.

He said: "I loved flying – it really got into my blood. My duty was to move aircraft around the country, to where it was needed, and I was also involved in some test flights. I got to fly all sorts of aircraft: Spitfires, Mustangs, Hurricanes and Hellcats, for example.

“When I look back, I think it is absolutely remarkable what was achieved by the ATA, and I think it is an honour to be recognised for our efforts.”

Earlier in the day, veterans attended a reunion at White Waltham airfield near Maidenhead – the original headquarters of the ATA – where they had the opportunity to view an exhibition of ATA memorabilia and enjoy a display of wartime aircraft.

Aviation Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: "It is humbling to hear of the work undertaken by these brave men and women and it is right that we remember those who served and recognise their vital role in the war effort."

The ATA was a civilian unit founded in 1939, and included pilots, flight engineers, ground engineers, flying instructors, operations officers, meteorological officers, nurses and doctors, administration staff and Air Cadets. They were based at 14 ferry pools across the country.

The group had a remarkable delivery record and very few aircraft were lost or damaged. Tragically, 173 air-crew personnel lost their lives on ATA missions, including Amy Johnson, the pioneering female civil aviator. By 1945 there were 650 ATA pilots from 22 countries around the world including Chile, South Africa and the United States.