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Why My 93-year-old Gran is Learning to Fly

By James Wooldridge
n a bright but slightly cloudy day, 93-year-old Mollie is standing
on an airfield near London, preparing to start her next flying
Olesson. "Ordinary flying is very boring, I hate it - but this, you
see so much," she says, "England is so beautiful. I never realized that
there were probably 50 shades of green."
It is something she has done on major birthdays since she was 70 and Leaving the Wrens, Mollie went on to become an au pair, a nurse and a
chef. But she always had a hankering to take to the skies. Back on the
just one facet of her active life (she's a keen horse-rider too). Joining airfield, Matilda watches her grandmother's plane take off. "It's piqued
Mollie at the airfield for the time is her 12-year-old granddaughter my interest and I would like to give it a go," says Matilda, explaining
Matilda. "I've heard all about her flying but I've never been here and that Mollie's encouragement has helped her make her the person she is
witnessed it," says Matilda, "I hope she is a better navigator in the plane now.
than when she is driving us here." Like her grandmother, Matilda has an appetite for adventure, and
Mollie's passion for flying began in World War Two. She was inspired they share a love of horse riding. "It's kind of dangerous, so there's an
by the women pilots she saw delivering planes from the factories to the element of that you have to trust the horse," says Matilda. "You have
front line. "When I joined the Wrens [Women's Royal Naval Service] to work as a team, it's not just an individual thing... you have to really
I didn't realise that women could fly," she says. "I was watching work together to help each other and have a good relationship."
Pathe Gazette and they said this woman was bringing in a Wellington
[bomber] and I thought, 'Oh, why did I join the Wrens? I could have A keen rider, Mollie says she started riding when she was about six or
done that,' and ever since I thought I must go in an aeroplane and learn seven years old, but never had formal lessons. "It was just the natural
to fly." thing to do," says Mollie. Mollie introduced Matilda to horses when she
Aged just 16 when she joined, Mollie admits she forged her birth was 18 months old. "She took it like a horse to water," says Mollie. She
tells Matilda: "You had a smile on your face and you were enjoying it."
certificate, knowing the Navy would not take her if she was under 17.
"We all wanted to join up. We weren't going to let anybody come and Earlier in the week, before the flying lesson, Mollie and Matilda
take us over," she says. Her job was to look after the electrics and fuel had decided to go for a ride together in the Cotswolds, in the south
of the ships that took supplies out to the warships. "Mostly it had to do of England. A broken hip meant Mollie had to stop temporarily while
with bringing troops to ship or taking them off again depending on what she recovered and this is the first time she has ridden in about a year.
they were doing." Climbing carefully on to the horse she leans over and says to it: "Please
be respectful to your elders. Otherwise you're in trouble and so am I."
But one night proved to be exceptional. Setting off in a small motorboat She laughs.
with just a navigator for company, she travelled into the English
Channel in complete darkness. Her mission was to deliver a letter to As they set off through a village, the Cotswold stone buildings gleaming
Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who was aboard the HMS King in the sunlight, Mollie explains it is the sense of freedom and getting
George V (KG5), which was observing radio silence. "We went out back to nature that she loves about riding. "As I'm going along I'm
and out and out and because of the blackout you couldn't see the land talking to him and he's listening," she says. "Look at a horse's ears and
and you couldn't see anything else because there was no Moon," says you will find they are going forward and backwards taking in what's
Mollie, explaining it was the only time during the war that she really going on."
felt frightened. "I think it's nice to see you doing things and being happy and sharing
Eventually they found the battleship. A sailor waiting on a rope ladder moments so I can remember what we did together," says Matilda.
took the letter from them as they passed the ship and they were then Asked what she thinks about people telling her it is dangerous to ride
expected to turn around and return to shore. "I thought 'Dear God, at her age, Mollie says: "Go to hell! I'll do as I please." She laughs
where the hell are we?' You couldn't see a thing." again. But Mollie also says that one of the reasons she is able to stay so
active is being able to live in supported accommodation provided by a
During her time in the forces, Mollie saw many disturbing things. She veteran's charity, Stoll. "I didn't want to come to Stoll," she says. "We
recalls she and her crew-mates having dinner on-board a destroyer with were living in a very pretty place with a lovely river in front of us and
some of the male sailors who served on it. "Little did we know it would the ducks used to come, they would come right into the flat," But one
set sail at about seven o'clock in the morning and by half past eleven day Mollie had a fall and was on the ground for at least half an hour. She
it would be back and a lot of them would be dead - all the top bit was subsequently developed pneumonia and realized that she needed to be
gone," says Mollie, "They had been machine-gunned and torpedoed." somewhere she would be looked after.
But she also regards her time as a Wren as a privilege and credits the Mollie says she does not have any advice to give Matilda, explaining
military with teaching her the importance of acceptance and making that she believes that whatever she wants to be she will do it well. But
the best of things. "If something terrible happened we tried to help she does offer some general advice for younger people - never turn
and make things better and if we couldn't then that was life. There was down opportunities and experiences. "You would be surprised; all
nothing we could do. "I mean literally there was nothing we could do, sorts of wonderful things come out of it," she says. Matilda echoes her
we had to accept an awful lot," she says. grandmother's sentiments. "Mollie's actions help me remember that I
Like many women who served, Mollie lost her job when the war ended. can do anything I want to," says Matilda. Even if she has to lie about
"We were chucked out, because sailors were coming back and our job her age to do it, she adds, laughing. "When I am older, I hope I am like
was the most interesting of all jobs and they wanted them back again," grandma and I still ride and fly planes. I need to get it into that, and I
says Mollie. "It was an extraordinary feeling. We had been necessary, hope I am as happy when I am her age, and I can still move around and
we had been doing things, we were needed and suddenly no-one wanted do things that I want to do."
us," she says.

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