In this interview, listen to Joy talk about her rare and exciting opportunity to fly with ATA in the famous spitfire plane. Born in Cirencester, Joy was raised in the countryside where she learned to be strong and independent, always striving to be the best she could possibly be. When her sister joined the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary), it was only a matter of time before Joy's fierce competitive edge would cause her to follow in her sister's footsteps and join up as well. Although Joy found her training quite difficult due to the tough weather conditions which made her experience more challenging; she soon found her rhythm and was accepted to fly possibly the most iconic plane from the WWII era: the spitfire. However, as the war progressed, there became less and less of a need for women pilots in the eyes of the military, so Joy's original pool was disbanded. In the interview, Joy speaks on her experience of moving pools not once but twice! She also explains how the different ranks in the ATA work, as well as talk about an intense emergency landing that forced her to hitchhike back home, in additional to what made the American bases so much more exciting.

Joan Taylor, a member of the Women's Transport Service First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), served in the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II. Born in London, Joan's family relocated to Buckinghamshire and later to Surrey due to the war. At 19, Joan joined FANY, attracted by its unique reputation and diverse roles. She underwent training at Overthorpe Hall in Banbury, learning Morse code, coding, and other essential skills. Later, at Fawley Court and Thame, she honed her skills in wireless operation and coding, working with agents who were being trained for deployment in occupied countries. Joan's service took her to various locations, including Grendon Hall, where she worked as part of an operational team transmitting messages to and from agents in the field. She was later deployed to Massingham in North Africa, where she continued her signals work, primarily supporting missions in France and Italy. After Massingham, Joan was stationed in Bari and Siena, Italy, where she continued her signals work until the war's end. She reflects on her wartime service with pride, recognising the importance of her role in supporting the Allied effort.