Educational Media Reviews Online

The Air Transport Auxiliary was a British Commonwealth service made up of both men and women pilots who transported every RAF aircraft in Britain during World War II. These courageous pilots transported military aircraft directly from their factories to safe locations in the North of England or in 1944 to staging areas for the D-Day invasion. The ATA included 22 different Commonwealth nations and one in five of the pilots were women. A Time for Courage is not only the story of the ATA, but is also the intimate biography of Canadian Violet Milstead Warren, who began her career as a civilian aviation instructor near Toronto Canada and volunteered for service in the ATA during World War II.

This was dangerous work. One hundred and seventy three ATA pilots lost their lives during the Second World War. Some of the transported military aircraft were damaged and “only serviceable for one landing.” Pilots flew on “dead reckoning” with maps but without radio contact. First Officer, Violet Milstead logged over 562 hours and flew 47 different types of military aircraft including Spitfires, Hurricanes, Mosquitoes and other equally famous RAF aircraft. This is a high quality, well researched, professional production. Besides Violet Milstead, other surviving ATA pilots (Ernest Birnmann, Diana Basrnato Walker etc.) share their wartime reminiscences. These are emotionally moving accounts, and occasionally the narrator is overcome with emotion. Moreover, Canadian aviation historians, like Shirley Render, fill in much needed details and share their extensive knowledge of wartime aviation.

Production values are outstanding in A Time for Courage. A mobile camera is used to give variety to the editing. Fast fades and dissolves seamlessly juxtapose period movie clips, old photographs, posters, and contemporary interviews. In one technically memorable segment three different women narrate a flying incident of Violet Milstead. Color and black and white imagery are bright and well focused. Sound is clear and the music is unobtrusive.

Why is there an irritating fade to black between segments? Was this originally meant for commercials? Couldn’t Cinema Guild have edited these out? Additionally, why are the credits on the box different from the roll at the end of the program?

The women of the ATA made a significant contribution to the allied war effort. It is time that these brave women and men were given recognition. Everyone should welcome this exceptional video. Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and other Commonwealth libraries will definitely want this program. I believe that it could also be useful in Women’s Studies, World War II and Twentieth Century History courses in university and college libraries. Highly recommended.