The men and women of the ATA, including the female pilots known as the 'Spitfire Women', delivered over 309,000 aircraft between factories and front line airfields during the war and returned them when they were damaged.
Elizabeth Page from Leicester was 18 when she joined the ATA in 1943, working as a secretary for two Commanding Officers at Ratcliffe Aerodrome.
Although unable to attend today's reception, Mrs Page said:
"I'm very proud of the work we did during the war and I'm pleased that we're being recognised for our efforts. The ATA was full of lovely people and everyone was dedicated to the organisation."
"I met my husband, who was a Lancaster bomber pilot, during my time in the ATA. He was recovering from an accident in a hospital in Loughborough and was covered in plaster when I first met him!"
Earlier in the day, veterans attended a reunion at White Waltham airfield near Maidenhead - the original headquarters of the ATA - where they had the opportunity view an exhibition of ATA memorabilia and enjoy a display of war time aircraft.
Aviation Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said:
"It is humbling to hear of the work undertaken by these brave men and women and it is right that we remember those who served and recognise their vital role in the war effort."
The ATA was a civilian unit founded in 1939, and included pilots, flight engineers, ground engineers, flying instructors, operations officers, meteorological officers, nurses and doctors, administration staff and Air Cadets. They were based at 14 ferry pools, across the country.
The group had a remarkable delivery record and very few aircraft were lost or damaged. Tragically 173 air crew personnel lost their lives on ATA missions, including Amy Johnson, the pioneering female civil aviator. By 1945 there were 650 ATA pilots from 22 countries around the world including Chile, South Africa and the United States.
