sentences:  In Spring 1942, having graduated from navigation training at Engels Military Aviation School, she was sent to the Eastern front of World War II as the chief of communications of a squadron in the 588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, which was later honored with the Guards designation and renamed the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment in 1943.During the ceremony when the regiment received the guards flag, Meklin was the standard-bearer, assisted by Glafira Kashirina and Yekaterina Titova.Initially she flew as a navigator for Mariya Smirnova and later Irina Sebrova, but she soon retrained to become a pilot and by 18 May 1943 she made her first sortie as a pilot, which was her 381st mission.