The White Lily of Stalingrad

Lidya Litvyak made history by becoming the first woman pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft. Also known as Lilya, she was a skilled pilot during WW2. Taking part in the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk she saw intense action in her short career. Lydia’s fame grew. Her commanding officer said of her “She was very aggressive, a born fighter pilot”. With her striking looks and fame in defending Stalingrad she was given the name, “The White Lily of Stalingrad” by her comrades. On February 1943 she was promoted to a junior lieutenant and chosen to join a group of elite pilots that were permitted to search for targets under their own initiative. These “free hunters“ were made up of only the most experienced pilots. In recognition of this status she had a white lily painted on the side of her plane. Finally she was shot down while engaging several fighters and went missing leaving a mystery that would not be solved for many years.