Khiuaz Dospanova
Sign in to saveAlso known as Khiuaz Qayrkyzy Dospanova, Khiuaz Qayrqyzy Dospanova
Soviet Po-2 navigator in WWII and Hero of Kazakhstan (1922-2008)
Key facts
- Native name
- Хиуаз Доспанова
- Born
- 15 May 1922, Ganyushkino , Turkestan ASSR
- Died
- 20 May 2008 (aged 86), Almaty , Kazakhstan
- Allegiance
- Soviet Union
- Branch
- Soviet Air Force
- Service years
- 1942–1945
- Rank
- Senior lieutenant
- Unit
- 46th Guards Night Bomber Regiment
- Conflicts
- World War II
- Awards
- Hero of Kazakhstan
- Spouse
- Shaku Amirov
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- female
- Citizenship
- Kazakhstan
- Place of birth
- Kurmangazy
- Place of death
- Almaty
- Occupation
- military personnel
- Political party
- Communist Party of the Soviet Union
- Conflict
- Eastern Front
- Military branch
- Soviet Air Forces
- Military rank
- senior lieutenant
- Image
- Khiuaz Dospanova.jpg
Show 6 more facts
- date of birth
- 1922-05-15
- date of death
- 2008-05-20
- name in native language
- Хиуаз Қайырқызы Доспанова
- allegiance
- Soviet Union
- Commons category
- Khiuaz Dospanova
- member of
- Night Witches
via Wikidata · CC0
~4 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Khiuaz Qayrqyzy Dospanova (Russian: Хиуаз Каировна Доспанова, romanized: Khiuaz Kairovna Dospanova; Kazakh: Хиуаз Қайырқызы Доспанова; 15 May 1922 – 20 May 2008) was a Soviet pilot and navigator who served during World War II in the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, nicknamed the "Night Witches". In addition to being the first ethnically Kazakh woman officer in the Soviet Air Force, she was the only Kazakh woman to serve in the "Night Witches".
Despite sustaining multiple fractures in her legs in a ground collision in 1943, she returned to active duty and continued to participate in sorties against doctor's recommendations; she was eventually awarded the title Hero of Kazakhstan in 2004 for her perseverance, and Atyrau International Airport is named in her honor.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Khiuaz Dospanova” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.