Jean Gardener Batten was born in Rotorua, New Zealand in September 15 1909. She was the daughter of Frederick Harold Batten and Ellen Nellie Blackmore. Beside Jean’s cot Ellen pinned a newspaper with the picture of the French pilot Louis Blériot. After achieving high in school Jean planned to perform in ballet and piano but she changed this after Charles Lindbergh’s solo non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. She sold her piano for money to travel to Australia then England to gain her Pilot license. Almost immediately she began planning for her first record attempt. With money causing many obstacles, men who were working with Jean helped ease the burden. Other Record attempts were ruined by sandstorms and near fatal crashes. Refusing to give up, just two days after crashing in Rome, on 3 May Jean set off to shatter the cross-Atlantic world record by four days. Jean went on to achieve more world records, and even more men fell in love with her charm and elegance. Because of her striking looks and her reclusive tendencies, she became known as the Greta Garbo of the skies.
© Reeve and Elizma
