Marina Știrbei

Marina Știrbei (19 March 1912 – 15 July 2001) was a Romanian aviator who gained fame in the Second World War as a founding member of the Romanian Air Force's all-women White Squadron, rescuing the wounded from the front lines. More recently, the Romanian press have called her the "Princess of Romanian aviation".

Early life Born on 19 March 1912 in Vienna, Austria, Marina Știrbei was the daughter of Prince George Știrbei, who was Barbu Știrbey's brother, and Elisabeth, niece of the pioneering aviator George Valentin Bibescu. After repeatedly being refused entrance to the Romanian Pilots School on the grounds she was a woman, in 1932 she was finally allowed to train there under Ioana Cantacuzino. She was granted her Grade II pilot's license in 1935. The following year, she won the first pilots contest in Romania.