Most Americans won’t recognize the name Amy Johnson, but the best way to describe her would be the “the British Girl Lindberg.”
Johnson landed in Darwin, Australia on May 24, 1930, becoming the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia.
Johnson received her pilots license only a year before her flight. Her longest previous flight was 155 miles.
The papers played up her gender. The Daily Mail’s incorrect headline said she had taken a “Cupboard Full of Frocks.”
The amyjohnsontrust.co website gave a detailed account of her journey.
She used a map and ruler to plot her course. Johnson set a record in her open-air cockpit by reaching India in six days.
The press nicknamed her “British Girl Lindberg,” “ Wonderful Miss Johnson” and “The Lone Girl Flyer.”
Johnson would go on to break more flying records by herself and with her husband but retired in 1936.
She returned to flying, joined the Air Transportation Auxiliary in 1940 and flew planes around England to the Royal Air Force. On January 5,1941 she parachuted out of her plane as it was crashing near the North Sea.
Even though ships saw her land in the water, they couldn’t save her because of the cold, stormy conditions.
Why she was so far off course will never be known. She might have gotten lost because of the weather and ran out of gas. She might have been on a secret mission. Another rumor blamed it on friendly fire.
Johnson will always be remembered through songs. At least 10 were written after she landed in Australia. The most popular was our Song of the Day, “Amy (Wonderful Amy).”
George Gilbert wrote the lyrics and Horatio Nicholls wrote the music. Jack Hytton and his Orchestra and vocalist Pat O’Malley recorded it.
Song of the Day is created by Sheldon Zoldan, and produced by Pam James for WGCU. To receive the Song of the Day in your inbox every day, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
