Keene, Edith Clayton, 2nd Lt

Edith "Edy" Clayton Keene
December 19, 1920 to April 25, 1944

After graduation from WASP basic on February 11. 1944, Edith reported to Hondo Army Air Field in Hondo, Texas, where she piloted twin engine aircraft to train student navigators. From there she went to Moore Army Air Base in Mission, Texas. On an almost perfect afternoon for flyng, Edith was passenger in an AT-6. The pilot was putting the plane through standard flight maneuvers including barrel rolls and loops. While trying to pull out of a dive, a portion of one wing was torn loose. The plane spun out of control. The pilot ejected to safety, but Edith was pinned in the rear cockpit and unable to get out.

Edith was born in Canton, Montana but spent most of her life in California. She had four sisters. She received her pilots license at Pomona Airport. She was one of five women in the CPT program before she joined the WASP. As of December, 2001, she was survived by her sisters, Winona, Frances, Edwina, and Hope. Her mother lived to the age of 110 and just recently passed away. (My thanks to Audrey Haworth, the grand-niece of Edith.)

EDITH ‘EDY’ CLAYTON KEENE
Class: 44-W-1

Born: Canton, Montana

Graduate: Pomona schools
Pomona Junior College and UCLA

On August 9,1943, Edith arrived at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas to begin training to become a WASP, and graduated on February 11, 1944.

She was assigned to Hondo Army Air Field, Hondo, Texas and later transferred to Moore Army Air Base, Mission, Texas.

She was killed on April 25, 1944 while on a routine flight in an AT-6 that crashed near Mission.