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Story: Aviation

Jean Batten

Jean Batten

In 1934 Jean Batten flew solo from England to Australia, achieving the fastest time for a woman pilot. She is pictured (left) with Governor-General Lord Bledisloe and Lady Bledisloe at Rongotai airport, Wellington, on a visit to New Zealand after her epic flight. Two years later she broke all records, by both men and women, for the England–Australia flight.

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Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PAColl-0889-2

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Peter Aimer, Aviation – Crossing the Tasman, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/6576/jean-batten (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Peter Aimer, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

Lesley Gunson
31 May 2023
My great Aunt is Jean Batten, this article was pointed out to me some years ago by Dr Niel Gunson (now unfortunatly deceased). It is interesting. I am not sure of what went on but I know Jean wanted to fly plans during the war and she was not permitted to do so. Possibly because of Hitler allowing her to fly back to England. She ended up driving ambulances I think in London during WW2
Simon Gunson
30 August 2013
Whilst there is no conclusive proof of the following there seems a strong probability that along with war correspondent Kim Philby, Jean Batten may have played some role in spying for the British against the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. Her mother was actually resident in Majorica when war errupted there. Subsequently it appears she was asked by the English King George VI and King Leopold of Belgium to assist an effort by British Admiralty Intelligence to smuggle arms to the Finish Government. Batten was circulating in Swedish high society in Sweden whilst Ian Flemming (subsequent author of novels about James Bond) was also in Sweden co-ordinating efforts to fly arms from Sweden to Finland. Batten was trapped in Sweden when Germany invaded Belgium and France in September 1939. She was unique that she was personally permitted by Hitler to fly back to England via Germany and it is possible she may have been used by Hitler to convey discreet diplomatic communications.