Mariana Drăgescu

Mariana Drăgescu

Cmd.av. Mariana Drăgescu
(pictured, 2nd lt)
Born (1912-09-07)7 September 1912
Craiova
Died 24 March 2013(2013-03-24) (aged 100)
Bucharest
Allegiance Romania Romanian Armed Forces
Service/branch Romanian Air Force
Years of service 1940-1955
Rank Comandor (OF-5)
Unit White Squadron
Battles/wars

The Second World War

Awards Order of the Star of Romania,
Order of Aeronautical Virtue,
Order of the German Eagle

Marie Ana Aurelia (Mariana) Drăgescu (7 September 1912, Craiova – 24 March 2013, Bucharest) was a Romanian military pilot and aviator during World War II. She was the last surviving member of the White Squadron, a team of female aviators who flew medical aircraft during World War II.[1][2] Romania was the only country in the world to allow women to pilot medical missions during the war.[3]

Drăgescu received her pilot's license in 1935 when she was 23 years old.[2] She became one of the few women in the world to hold a license at the time.[2] In 1938, with the threat of conflict growing in Europe, Drăgescu was invited to join a new, all-female aviation team which would become the White Squadron.[3] The other four women to join with her were Virginia Duțescu, Nadia Russo, Marina Stirbey, and Irina Burnaia.[3]

The contributions of Drăgescu and the other women of the White Squadron to the history of Romanian aviation were ignored during the country's Communist era, but have received a more appropriate estimation in recent years, following the Romanian Revolution of 1989.[2]

Mariana Drăgescu died on 24 March 2013, at the age of 100.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Marin, Iulia (2013-03-26). "A murit Mariana Drăgescu, fost pilot în "Escadrila Albă"". Adevărul (in Romanian). Retrieved 2013-04-30.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "A murit Mariana Dragescu, fosta mare aviatoare in cel de-al Doilea Razboi Mondial. Avea 100 de ani". Pro TV (in Romanian). 2013-03-25. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
  3. 1 2 3 Focșa, Daniel (2007-05-11). "Mariana Drăgescu și Escadrila Albă". Ziarul Financiar (in Romanian). Retrieved 2013-04-12.
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