Hazel Jane Raines (1916 - 1956)

Born 21 Apr 1916 in Waynesboro, Burke, Georgia, United States

Died 4 Sep 1956 at age 40 in London, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Hazel Raines was born in 1916.^[1] She was the daughter of Frank Raines and Bessie Polder. ^[2]

In 1920, she was living with her parents and 2 older sisters, Frankie and Martha R, in Millen, Jenkins, Georgia.^[2]

In 1940, she was with her parents in Bibb, Macon, Georgia.^[3]

She was in the Air Transport Auxiliary from 14 Apr 1942 until 24 Jul 1943 when her contract was terminated on medical grounds, following a crash.
She sailed back to the USA on the 'Queen Elizabeth' on 5 Aug 1943, with fellow ATA ferry pilot Russell Gibson (M.609). ^[4]
Back in the US, Raines joined the WASPs and was made squadron commander at Avenger Field, completing her training ahead of schedule after learning to fly the Martin B-26 Marauder. Her next duty stations were as squadron commander at Pecos Army Air Field in Texas, and Kingman Army Airfield in Arizona.

After the WASP program ended on 20 1944, she went to Brazil ^[1] where she taught at the Air Ministry of Brazil in São Paulo.

In 1949, Raines was commissioned in the Women in the Air Force (WAFS) as a Second lieutenant with the reserves unit at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Through determination and nonstop efforts to be recognized, Raines was finally returned to active status in 1950 and stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. She was later transferred to London. Health issues began to surface in 1956, and she was hospitalized in Wiesbaden and London. She died on 4 Sep 1956, of a heart attack at her flat in Nell Gwynn House, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London. A porter found her dead in bed and called the police. At the time, she was a USAF Staff Advisor, stationed at the US 3rd Air Force Headquarters in South Ruislip, Middlesex. Her remains were shipped back to Georgia for burial in Riverside Cemetery.

Research Notes

Father: Frank Gordon Raines - Born 6 Mar 1879 Louisville, Jefferson County, Georgia, USA. Died 8 Jun 1940 (aged 61) Bibb County, Georgia, USA. Find A Grave: Memorial #55983445
Mother: Bessie Ponder Raines - Born 26 Jun 1885. Died 11 Nov 1971 (aged 86). Find A Grave: Memorial #55983444
Sister: Frankie Raines Trice - Born 15 Sep 1908. Died 8 Dec 2002 (aged 94). Find A Grave: Memorial #55928235
Sister: Martha Raines Haines - Born 18 Apr 1912. Died 10 Jun 1993 (aged 81). Find A Grave: Memorial #56628676

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Brasil, Cartões de Imigração, 1900-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K69D-L7S : 4 March 2021), Hazel Jane Raines, Immigration; citing 1945, Arquivo Nacional, Rio de Janeiro (National Archives, Rio de Janeiro).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJ69-LQP : 1 February 2021), Hazel Raines in entry for Frank Raines, 1920.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K72V-C8Y : 8 January 2021), Hazel Raines in household of Frank Raines, District 1085, Bibb, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 11-36, sheet 10A, line 31, family 216, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 641.
4. ↑ "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2H9Z-VWD : 2 March 2021), Hazel Jane Raines, 1943; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• Find A Grave: Memorial #55983446
• www.ata-ferry-pilots.org profile
• Wikipedia:Hazel Jane Raines