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Seized by the Sun: The Life and Disappearance of World War II Pilot Gertrude Tompkins by James W. Ure introduces teens to the fascinating life story of Gertrude Tompkins, who overcame a devastating childhood stutter, a troubled youth spent searching for her life’s purpose, and the gender barriers of her era to become one of 126 elite women chosen to pilot World War II fighter planes. As a young girl, Gertrude suffered from a debilitating stutter and was endlessly teased by her classmates. She did not find a solution to her stutter until she took her first flight in the P-51 Mustang, a single-seat fighter plane used during World War II. On October 26, 1944, Gertrude’s mission was to fly a P-51 Mustang from California to New Jersey, where it would be shipped to Great Britain for the war effort. She never arrived in New Jersey, and her disappearance remains a mystery to this day. Gertrude Tompkins may have disappeared on that ill-fated day in October, but she has become a symbol of overcoming adversity and facing challenges head-on.

Author James W. Ure talked to us about Gertrude’s story and why young readers should learn about this fascinating historical figure.

Courtesy of The WASP Archives, Texas Women’s University Library

Not many people are familiar with Gertrude “Tommy” Tompkins’s story. Did you know much about her before you began your research for the book? What drew you to writing a book about her?

I had never heard of Tommy until 2000. I was doing research for another book about an airplane possibly missing since World War II in Lincoln glacier in Glacier National Park. Gertrude’s grand-niece noticed my post in a WASP user group and asked if I would be interested in learning more about Gertrude. I met with her and her husband, and they showed me the documents and photos they had gathered over the years. Immediately it took on the qualities of a mystery. For the next 16 years, I was as much a detective as a writer. It was difficult work pulling together all the loose ends and sifting fact from fiction. Many stories had circulated about Gertrude’s disappearance, some of which were just not true. One writer claimed her remains had been found in the cockpit of a P-51 in the California desert, and that the ring given to her as a wedding present from her “Hollywood producer-husband” was on her “skeletal finger.” It was nonsense, and her family was not happy when this person’s book was published in 1995.

Gertrude struggled with a debilitating stutter throughout her life. It wasn’t until her first flight in the powerful P-51 Mustang that her stutter disappeared for good. Why do you think that is?

The impact of stuttering on a person’s functioning and emotional state can be severe. The exact causes of stuttering are not known, but genetics and neurology may be involved. There are a number of cases of near-miraculous cessation of stuttering, some claiming to be religious in nature. There is speculation that a strong assertion by the stutterer may contribute to abruptly ending the affliction. I’m going to suggest that Gertrude was truly asserting the control she never before enjoyed, but I cannot discount what may have been a spiritual awakening in Tommy as she put the powerful fighter plane through its paces. Flight can be a glorious experience and aviation literature has occasionally called flight “spiritual.”

Gertrude’s disappearance remains a mystery to this day. Has there been any progress in the ongoing search for the wreck in California?

It is at a dead end as far as searching Santa Monica Bay is concerned. Aircraft wreck historian G. Patric Macha tells me that 12 to 14 feet of debris and sediment have flowed into the bay from the Hyperion sewage treatment plant and from Ballona Creek since Gertrude’s takeoff in 1944. Perhaps some new technology will come along and help find her if she is in the bay. There is still a chance she is in the mountains or deserts between Los Angeles and Yuma, Arizona. Her whereabouts remain a mystery.

You interviewed Gertrude’s family, friends and fellow WASPs. After speaking with WASPs, including Mickey Axton and Winifred Wood, what did you learn about Gertrude?

From her sister Elizabeth, I learned of her strict upbringing and her father’s endless attempts to cure her stutter. Elizabeth told me how Tommy was once sent to a psychiatrist to cure her stutter, which resulted in rebelliousness that shocked the family. She told me about Tommy’s great love, the American pilot who flew for England before the United States got into World War II, and emphasized how unhappy Tommy was about marrying Henry Silver. Talking to WASPs who knew Tommy, I learned that first, she was a very good pilot. Second, her sense of humor was revealed only after she got to know you. She was dignified and was a person who kept her word. She was also one of the older women in her training class of W-7-43. Mickey Duncan, who dated her when they were flying P-51s at Brownsville, was also a good source. He said she was very pretty and he found her quite playful. They shared one Coke with two straws and frequently spent a day off exploring Matamoros, Mexico, just over the border. Mickey was 10 years her junior, and Tommy had little experience with dating. She had her choice of many dashing pilots at Brownsville, but some suggest the age difference gave her some confidence and control. These interviews provided a look into a time when America was united as it has never been since.

What was the best part about writing Seized by the Sun?

Having conversations with WASPs and Gertrude’s family who were then still living. They provided passionate, funny and wonderful stories. They were generous with their time.

What message should young readers take away from Gertrude’s inspirational story?

1. Persistence in the face of adversity can overcome difficult problems. 2. Follow your heart.

“Seized by the Sun is a compelling slice of Americana and a wonderfully detailed glimpse at life in the WASPs from the perspective of a privileged yet tortured young woman.” —Kathryn J. Atwood, author of Women Heroes of World War II

“Part concise history of the WASP, part unsolved mystery, Seized by the Sun is a long-overdue tribute to a determined and talented young woman as her identity changes from a shy and stuttering society girl to a confident military pilot. A deftly reported, shining portrait of an inspirational woman.” —Elizabeth Wein, award-winning author of Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire

Seized by the Sun: The Life and Disappearance of World War II Pilot Gertrude Tompkins by James W. Ure is on sale now and is available wherever books and e-books are sold.

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