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Subject: FW: WASP trainee Brooks
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2006 13:53:26 -0500
From: "MacGowan, Tracey" <TMacgowan@mail.twu.edu>
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To: "Letson, Dawn" <DLetson@mail.twu.edu>
CC: "Charles Hailey" <cahailey@swbell.net>
Another lost one found --Tracey
Tracey Mac Gowan, Library Assistant
The Woman's Collection
TWU Blagg-Huey Library
P.O. Box 425528
Denton, TX 76204-5528
940-898-3743
FAX: 940-898-3745
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Brooks [mailto:rbrooks16@austin.rr.com]
Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2006 8:51 AM
To: MacGowan, Tracey
Cc: Sandra Spears
Subject: Re: WASP trainee Brooks
Hello Tracey & Sandra,
I got a response from the Archives regarding my mom, Frances Brooks. The document is a form identified as a "Station 201 File Copy" and the letterhead is War Department, Army Air Forces, Notification of Personnel Action. It shows Frances T. Brooks assigned to "318th AAF Flying Training Det", Sweetwater, Texas. Effective date March 23, 1943. "Position - Student Pilot, Unclassified"
Signed For the Commanding Officer, Louis A. Handrick, 1st Lt., AC.
From this I deduce she would have been assigned to class 43-5. A second form 201 is more confusing. It indicates a voluntary resignation for family reasons effective March 31st, 1943. This might be the shortest student pilot career in history. I have decided to not ask her anymore about the length of her stay at Avenger in light of her age. I don't want to trigger any negative emotions. She always maintained she was there several months. Her recollection on this may well be in error although much her story has been validated in my mind.
I plan no further research on this and give her credit for the guts to show up and try to help her country. If it was less than a great career I accept that also. From an historical point of view this is also a part of the WASP story and I feel it illustrates the strength and determination of the women who persevered. It apparently was not easy.
Warmest regards,
Dick Brooks
----- Original Message -----
From: MacGowan, Tracey
To: rbrooks16@austin.rr.com
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 4:42 PM
Subject: WASP trainee Brooks
Dear Mr. Brooks,
Dawn Letson asked me to follow-up with you regarding your mother Frances Topping Brooks. She showed me the photo you sent and said you suspect that your mom may have been a member of one of the earlier classes. Do you by chance have any other documents, photographs, logbooks, letters that might have anymore information?
From Byrd Granger’s book “On Final Approach” she notes that there are some names of trainees missing from the rosters of the first few classes—so perhaps one of them could have been your mother. Some information that would help narrow it down would be when she entered training—fall, winter, spring—and if she ever was at Houston. The plane she is standing in front of in the photo you sent is a PT-19 Fairchild, 2-seater primary trainer, open cockpit. These planes were used by the early classes, the later ones flew Stearmans for primary training.
In the records of Dedie Deaton, the WASP’s Establishment Officer, class 43-4 was split—half went to Houston and half directly to Sweetwater, 43-5 went directly to Sweetwater.
Below is information from another kid of a WASP (or KOW as they call themselves) Andy Hailey, regarding requesting information/records from the National Archive.
If you don't have a copy of your mom's records , you
can get them by writing to:
National Personnel Records Center
111 Winnebago St.
St. Louis, MO 63118 http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/
and provide the following:
-her death certificate
-a letter of personal representative
-her name while in service
-her birthplace
-her birth date
-her SSN
-her death place
-her death date
-her time of service
Hope this helps some and if I can be of further assistance please don’t hesitate to let me know.
Kind regards,
Tracey
Tracey Mac Gowan, Library Assistant
The Woman's Collection
TWU Blagg-Huey Library
P.O. Box 425528
Denton, TX 76204-5528
940-898-3743
FAX: 940-898-3745
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