World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseHiuaz Kairovna Dospanova was born in Ganyushkino village, Guriev region (now Atyrau region), Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (now Kazakhstan) in 1922. In 1940, she graduated from Uralsk Secondary School No. 1. Later in the same year, armed with her secondary school diploma and a certificate from a local flying club, she attempted to enroll in the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy in Moscow, Russia, but she was rejected. She, instead, entered the First Moscow Medical Institute. After Germany turned on its ally with Operation Barbarossa, the need for pilots suddenly arose, and she was accepted into military service. With the Soviet 588th Night Bomber Regiment (later the 46th "Taman" Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment; sometimes known by the nickname "Night Witches" given by their German opposition), she flew 300 combat sorties across Eastern Europe. For her service, she was awarded the Order of the Red Star, Order of the Red Banner, among others. After the war, she became active in politics, becoming a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in 1951. Poor health forced an early retirement in 1959. She published her memoirs in Kazakh and Russian languages in the 1960s. In 2004, she was awarded the title Hero of Kazakhstan (Khalyk Kaharmany) with Gold Star and the Order of Otan. She passed away in May 2008.