RAeC 1929

Father: Horace John Maurice Drummond Sale-Barker (d. 10 Nov 1914 in Surrey), Mother: Florence Dyer [Ledgard] (later Mrs. H S Brookes)

prev: a ski Instructor - here she is in "the ski-ing school opened by Lilywhite's in what was previously a dance hall in Piccadilly", in 1931:

  'The Graphic'

  At Combermere Abbey, the home of Delia Crossley, in 1932

In January 1933, she and Joan Page crashed on their way back from the Cape, and had to be rescued from the South African bush near Lake Magadi, 40 miles south of Nairobi, "amongst lions, elephants and buffalo" The machine was wrecked and rescue parties sent out. Joan suffered a broken leg, Audrey had a cut on the head, and they waited two days by the wrecked machine before being rescued. (They had flown to the Cape "to stay with Lady Bailey" and had crashed on their way there as well, but escaped unharmed.)

   Daily Mirror

She was Captain of Great Britain's ladies' ski-ing team in 1934 and 1935.

   1939

"Sun and Snow at St. Moritz. Miss Audrey Sale-Barker (r, with Miss Patricia Lowry-Corry) has been appointed ski-ing instructress at the Corvegia Club this season. Her mother is an aunt of Lord Inchiquin" - The Tatler

"The Cresta Party at the Dorchester - Miss Audrey Sale-Barker and Wing-Commander Walter Wilson" - 3 Jan 1940 - The Tatler

 Postings: 15FPP

 1942 caricature by 'Sammy' Clayton

One of the ATA's 'two Audreys' [along with Audrey Macmillan]

Mary du Bunsen says "The two Audreys, who were very good pilots, had a special line of feminine vapours. "My dear," one or the other would exclaim in the mess, "I've got my first Hudson (or Mitchell, or whatever it might be) and I know I shall crash and I've got a pain (cold, temperature, etc)". And they would totter out, leaving a trail of handkerchiefs, lipsticks, handbags, etc., which would be picked up by willing (male) hands. They would then fly whatever it was superbly to its destination, where they would be assisted out of the aeroplane and the same pantomime would take place. " 

Off sick from 7 to 24 Feb 1941 with influenza; 17 Oct to 11 Nov 1941 with "torn ligament in foot"; 15 Feb 1943 with "defective vision", and 1 to 28 Nov 1943 with haemmorhoids.

One accident, not her fault:

- 30 Jul 1942, the port undercarriage leg of her Wellington II W5426 collapsed on landing.

Her contract was terminated 13 Jun 1943 in medical grounds, but she was re-instated.

m. 6 Aug 1949 in Edinburgh Cathedral.  George Nigel Douglas-Hamilton (the Earl of Selkirk):

"Scotland's biggest society wedding of the season", with over 1,500 (or it might have been 4,000) guests

d. 21 Dec 1994

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):