Helen Harrison was the only Canadian recruited by Jackie Cochran for the British Air Transport Auxiliary. Several other Canadian women traveled to England on their own. At the time of her application Harrison was 32 years old and had logged more than 2600 hours of flight time and held a Transport license along with her instructor's rating in Canada along with instructor's ratings in England and South Africa.
She was divorced and had three children ages 13, 11, and 8 at the time of her application with Cochran. Harrison traveled to England in the third group arriving in April of 1942. She served with the ATA until March 1944.
Harrison returned to Canada to bleak working conditions for female pilots. She was named to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1973.