Elsie Joy Davison facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elsie Joy Davison
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| Born |
Elsie Joy Muntz
14 March 1910 |
| Died | 8 July 1940 (aged 30) |
| Cause of death | Aircraft crash |
| Occupation | aviator, businesswoman |
| Spouse(s) | William Frank Davison (1933–1939) |
Elsie Joy Davison (born Muntz; March 14, 1910 – July 18, 1940) was a brave British pilot and a leader in an airline company. She was born in Canada but moved to the UK. Elsie started flying planes in 1929. She later became a director of an aircraft company. Sadly, she died while helping out in World War II in 1940. She was the first British female pilot to die during the war.
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Early Life and a Love for Flying
Elsie Joy Muntz was born in Toronto, Canada, on March 14, 1910. When she was young, her father died in an accident. Elsie then moved to the United Kingdom with her mother and sister.
From a young age, Elsie loved planes and how they worked. She started learning to fly in 1929. By the time she was 20, she had earned her flying certificate. She quickly became a well-known pilot. Elsie even held a special "Commercial B" license. This license allowed her to fly planes for work.
Elsie was also a member of the Women's Engineering Society. This group supported women in engineering. She first worked as a mechanic for companies like De Havilland. Later, she began flying for the Comper Aircraft Company.
Marriage and Business Adventures
In 1933, Elsie married William Frank Davison. She had met him while flying him for his photography work. In 1934, Frank bought Hooton Airfield. This was an airport where planes could take off and land.
In 1936, Frank started a company called Utility Airways Ltd. Both Elsie and Frank were directors of this company. This meant they helped run the business. Elsie and Frank later divorced in 1939.
After this, Elsie worked for a company that flew planes from Portsmouth to Cardiff. When World War II began, she started working for National Air Communications (NAC). This group helped with air travel during the war.
Joining the War Effort
Elsie soon learned about the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). The ATA was a special group of pilots. Their job was to fly newly built planes from factories to Royal Air Force bases. These bases were where the military planes were needed.
Elsie wrote to Pauline Gower, who led the women's section of the ATA. She wanted to join. At first, she turned down an offer because the pay was too low. But Elsie was bored with her job at the NAC. So, she decided to join the ATA's women's section on July 1, 1940.
A Tragic Flight
Elsie went to the Central Flying School in Upavon for training. She was assigned an experienced instructor, Sergeant Francis L'Estrange.
On July 8, 1940, Elsie and Sergeant L'Estrange took off in a Miles Master plane. This was an instruction flight. As they were returning to the base, something went wrong. The plane suddenly went into a spiral dive. It crashed into the ground. People watching were shocked.
Both Elsie Davison and Sergeant L'Estrange died in the crash. This made Elsie the first female pilot in Britain to die during World War II. Some people thought that a gas called carbon monoxide might have leaked into the cockpit. They believed it might have made the pilots unconscious. However, no official reason for the crash was ever given.
Elsie Joy Davison was cremated at Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol. She is remembered there in the Commonwealth War Graves section.
