JULY 20 Gen. Arnold sends proposal back. Directed Gen. George to confer with CAA & CAP and
provide statistics on availability of women pilots.
FEW DAYS LATER General Arnold leaves for England.
JULY 30 WAVES (Women for Voluntary Emergency Services) authorized by US Congress.
SEPTEMBER 1 Mrs Roosevelt in her syndicated column, MY DAY: “... this is not a time when women
should be patient. We are in a war and we need to fight it with all our ability and every weapon
possible. Women pilots, in this particular case, are a weapon waiting to be used.”
SEPTEMBER 3 Gen. George gives Ms. Love's proposal back to Arnold, says he could implement it
within 24 hours. Mistakenly thought he got a 'nod' from Gen. Arnold.
SEPTEMBER 5 Gen. Arnold's office (without his knowledge or approval) sends directive, 'Recruit
women pilots within 24 hours'. ATC names Nancy Love as 'Director' of women. Nancy Love sends
out first telegrams to recruit women pilots as civilian ferry pilots. Jacqueline Cochran stopped at
London airport as she is about to board airplane to return to US. Asked to delay departure. No
reason given.
SEPTEMBER 8 Ms. Cochran departs England for U.S.
SEPTEMBER 10 Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron(WAFS) formed. (Will ferry light military
aircraft.) Nancy Love in. Nancy Love and Gen. George make official announcement to media, without
Gen Arnold's knowledge. Ms. Cochran sees announcement when she arrives in NY. Ms. Cochran
furious. Calls Gen. Arnold, who can't see her until the 12th.
SEPTEMBER 12 Ms. Cochran meets w/Gen. Arnold. He, too, is furious about announcement. Ms.
Cochran does not press for abandonment of Nancy Love's project. She requests her broader plan
(women pilots to be militarily trained and do more than ferrying) to begin immediately. 3 woman
pilots report to New Castle to become pilots in the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. Group will
be known as “WAFS”.
SEPTEMBER 14 Gen. Smith submits memo to Gen. Arnold outlining Cochran's plans and
qualifications for entrance to training program for women pilots. Gen. Arnold approved.
SEPTEMBER 15 Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) created and officially approved.
SEPTEMBER 16 Jacqueline Cochran appointed Director, Women's Ferrying Training, to supervise
activities of all American women pilots flying military aircraft. Salary: $1 per year.
SEPTEMBER 21 First members of the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron report to Nancy Love,
Cmdr. WAFS, New Castle AFB. The women pilots will get 4 weeks of transition training at New Castle.
SEPTEMBER 22 Ms. Cochran discovers inadequate facilities in Houston for training women pilots.
SEPTEMBER 26 Ms. Cochran flies between NY and Washington, personally interviewing and
selecting young women to report for training in Houston. 5
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