The White Squadron (''Escadrila Albă'') or Escadrila 108 Transport ușor was a

Royal Romanian Air Force The Air Force branch of the Royal Romanian forces in World War II was officially named the (ARR, ), though it is more commonly referred to in English histories as the (Royal Romanian Air Force, FARR), or simply (Romanian Air Force). It provided ...

squadron of

air ambulance Air medical services are the use of aircraft, including both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide various kinds of urgent medical care, especially prehospital, emergency and critical care to patients during aeromedical evacuation an ...

s piloted by women in the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. They flew Polish RWD 13S planes.Axworthy, M. ''Flank Guard Romania's Aerial Advance on Stalingrad''

Air Enthusiast ''Air Enthusiast'' was a British, bi-monthly, aviation magazine, published by the Key Publishing group. Initially begun in 1974 as ''Air Enthusiast Quarterly'', the magazine was conceived as a historical adjunct to ''Air International'' magaz ...

64 July-August 1996 p.36 with photo The 1944 Italian-Romanian film ' was inspired by the squadron's story.

Notable pilots

Smaranda Brăescu Smaranda Brăescu (21 May 1897 – 2 February 1948) was a Romanian parachuting and aviation pioneer, former multiple world record holder. Her achievements earned her the nickname "Queen of the Heights". In the late 1920s and early 1930s she achi ...

Mariana Drăgescu Marie Ana Aurelia (Mariana) Drăgescu (7 September 1912 – 24 March 2013) was a Romanian military aviator during World War II. She was the last surviving member of the White Squadron, a team of female aviators who flew medical aircraft duri ...

Marina Știrbei Marina Știrbei (19 March 1912 – 15 July 2001) was a Romanian aviator who gained fame in the Second World War as a founding member of the Romanian Air Force's all-women White Squadron, rescuing the wounded from the front lines. More recently, ...

Nadia Russo Nadia (Nadejda) Russo-Bossie (17 June 1901 – 22 January 1988) was a Romanian military aviator during World War II. She was a member of the White Squadron, a team of female aviators who flew medical aircraft during World War II. Romania wa ...

References

External links

Escadrila albă
2012 video about the Squadron, in Romanian * Air ambulance services in Europe Medical units and formations Military units and formations of the Romanian Air Force All-female military units and formations Romanian women aviators Military history of Romania during World War II {{Aviation-org-stub

Notable pilots

References

Further reading

External links