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Third Officer Joan Esther Marshall, ATA - 'A South African Aviator'
01/02/2024
Second World War Miscellaneous South African Women at war
By Sally McGlone

United Kingdom

Third Officer Joan Esther Marshall
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Plaque Commemorating ATA losses at Yorkshire Air Museum RAF Elvington, North Yorkshire (copyright unknown)

Joan Esther Marshall was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 1913. She was educated 'privately' in South Africa, and moved from there to Northumberland in 1926, aged 13, with her family - father Walter (a farmer), mother Eda, 2 elder sisters Brenda and Eda, and brother John. She then went to the College of Domestic Science, Atholl Crescent, Edinburgh, and from there she became Catering Manager for Airwork at Heston, working for Susan Slade (q.v.). 

Before she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary, she had 30 solo flying hours logged. She was awarded her RAeC certification in 1937, in Gloucester. She originally applied to the ATA in December 1940 (Susan had started with the ATA the month before), citing as her next of kin her sister Brenda Anderson, of Dyce, Aberdeenshire. By then she had 60 hours flying experience, of which half were solo, on "Moth I, II, Avro Cadet, Cirrus Moth, Leopard Moth, and Whitney Straight".

Third Officer Joan Esther Marshall died on on the 20 June 1942, in Master I N7806 which spun into the ground when approaching to land at White Waltham.

The official report said it was due to "a spin caused by stalling on a turn during a landing approach, for which it has been impossible to find a reason."

She was buried in Maidenhead Cemetery (Sec. D. Row K.K. Grave 24.); her pall bearers were Pauline Gower, and her fellow Third Officers Winnie Pierce, Louise Schuurmann, Katie Williams, Mary Wilkins, Irene Arckless, and Benedetta Willis.

Joan Esther Marshall RAeC photograph 1937 (copyright unknown)