Seized by the Sun

Of the 38 Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) confirmed or presumed dead in World War II, only oneGertrude Tommy Tompkinsis still missing. On October 26, 1944, the 32-year-old fighter plane pilot lifted off from Mines Field in Los Angeles. She was never seen again. Seized by the Sun is the story of a remarkable woman who overcame a troubled childhood and the societal constraints of her time to find her calling flying the fastest and most powerful airplane of World War II. It is also a compelling unsolved mystery. Born in 1912 to a wealthy New Jersey family, Gertrudes childhood was marked by her mothers bouts with depression and her fathers relentless search for a cure for the debilitating stutter that afflicted Gertrude throughout her life. Teased and struggling in school, young Gertrude retreated to a solitary existence. As a young woman she dabbled in raising goats and aimlessly crisscrossed the globe in an attempt to discover her purpose. As war loomed in Europe, Gertrude met the love of her life, a Royal Air Force pilot who was killed flying over Holland. Telling her sister that she couldnt stop crying, so she focused on learning to fly, Gertrude applied to join the newly formed Womens Air Force Service Pilots. She went on to become such a superior pilot that she was one of only 126 WASPs selected to fly fighter planes. After her first flight in the powerful P-51 Mustang, her stutter left her for good. Gertrudes sudden disappearance remains a mystery to this day. Award-winning author Jim Ure leads readers through Gertrudes fascinating life; provides a detailed account of the WASPs daily routines, training, and challenges; and describes the ongoing search for Gertrudes wreck and remains. The result of years of research and interviews with Gertrudes family, friends, and fellow WASPs, Seized by the Sun is an invaluable addition to any students or history buffs bookshelf.