Father: Charles William Wilkins, a farmer, Mother: Ellen [Clarke] of Langley Farm, Leafield (The Manor, Brize Norton, Oxon from 1928) 3rd of 4 children Ed. Shipton-under-Wychwood School, Burford Secondary and High Schools prev: Shop Manageress
Postings: 5FPP, 15FPP, 6FPP, 1FPP Class 4+ pilot Off sick from 1 to 15 Apr 1943 with influenza
8 accidents: - 30 Aug 1942, during a landing in Hurricane IIc MV657, a camera panel opened and the starboard wing dropped - 3 Sep 1942, a forced landing in Argus EV787 after engine failure - 5 Dec 1942, she taxied Spitfire IV (Tropical) BR656 in a strong wind "without a man on the tail", nosed over and damaged the propeller - 20 Dec 1942, her Spitfire Vc (Tropical) EE752 was struck while stationary (but partly blocking the perimeter track), by another Spitfire Vc (Tropical) being taxied by Dorothy Bragg - 28 May 1943, a wheels-up landing in Spitfire XI EN652 after the selector lever stuck - 30 May 1943, taxying in Spitfire VII R7211, she hit Argus EV785 piloted by Mardi Gething, damaging the Argus' propeller and the Spitfire's wingtip. "The pilot's [Wilkins] judgement was probably impaired by the effects of an accident two days earlier. She should have been medically examined before flying again and O.C. 15FPP is therefore held responsible" - 6 (or 19) July 1943, Commended for a forced landing in Argus I EV803 after engine failure caused by fuel starvation - 8 Feb 1944, a tailwheel-up landing in Spitfire VIII MD342 due to a hydraulic fault
"A hard working pilot who possesses good judgement and shows good commonsense"
Flying Record in ATA: - Single-engine 713.15 hrs - Twin-engine 213.20 hrs 76 aircraft types flown, including 403 Spitfires and 47 Wellingtons.
She later said: "Being an ATA pilot was fantastic ... up in the air on your own. And you can do whatever you like" Post-WWII, she was seconded to the RAF, where she became the second woman (after Veronica Volkersz) to pilot a Gloster Meteor. Later, Manager of Sandown Airport, IoW, and the Isle of Wight Aero Club; ex-ATA pilot Vera Strodl was the Chief Flying Instructor. And a rally driver; in 1953 she won the Isle of Wight rally with Caroline Humphreys as co-driver.
m. 1961 Donald Ellis OBE, who worked for British Hovercraft Co. (d. 2009) They moved to Saudi Arabia 1970-74
Mary (4th from left) at the unveiling of the ATA Memorial in Hamble-le-Rice, 2010 She wrote, with Melody Foreman, "A Spitfire Girl: One of the World's Greatest Female ATA Ferry Pilots Tells Her Story." (2016)
d. 24 July 2018
ATA Association Chairman Graham Rose delivered a tribute at her memorial service on 4 September 2018: "Diminutive in stature at 5 foot 2 inches tall, quietly spoken, polite, kind, gentle, modest, inspiring, determined, graceful and fiercely independent to the end." In November 2016, she and fellow ATA pilot Joy Lofthouse were honoured in front of members of the Royal Family at the annual Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall. They proudly marched to a standing ovation and applause ringing in their ears. Dan Snow tweeted: “Mary Ellis, one of Britain's greatest aviators, died yesterday at the age of 101. Last week I took my kids to meet her. My boy clasped a model plane. She asked what it was. 'Spitfire' he whispered. She leaned down and shared a few private thoughts about the aircraft. Gp Capt Tim Jones, station commander at Brize Norton, said: "A lot of men didn't want to see women flying at all and here were these ladies who were behind the scenes, helping keep the war effort going. When you meet people like Mary Ellis you can see in her eyes she has an inner steel that you can imagine came in very handy back then." A moment that says much about Mary was that, as she left Number 10 Downing Street in May this year after an RAF100 Reception hosted by the Prime Minister, she was given a Guard of Honour by RAF Cadets."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ellis_(pilot) Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file): |
RAeC 1938
ATA
2010
