Pauline Gower

Pauline Mary de Peauly Gower (1910–1947), married name Pauline Fahie, was a British pilot and writer who headed the female branch of the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War.

Daughter of MP Sir Robert Gower, she first flew with Alan Cobham and was fascinated by flying. In August 1931 she established a joy-riding and air taxi service in Kent. As well as flying, she wrote for "Girl's Own Paper" and "Chatterbox" and published a collection of poetry, "Piffling Poems for Pilots", in 1934. As a writer she was acquainted with W. E. Johns whose character Worrals was based on Pauline Gower and Amy Johnson.

In 1938 she was appointed a civil defence commissioner in London with the Civil Air Guard. That year her work on women in aviation—"Women with Wings"—was published. On the outbreak of the Second World War, Gower made use of her high-level connections to propose the establishment of a women's section in the new Air Transport Auxiliary —the ATA would be responsible for ferrying military aircraft from factory or repair facility to storage unit or operational unit—to the authorities.

Gower was appointed as the head of the women's branch, and commenced the selection and testing of women pilots, the first eight being appointed by the ATA on 1 January 1940. Early members included ice-hockey international Mona Friedlander and former ballet dancer Rona Rees. Later members included Amy Johnson and Lord Runciman's daughter Margaret Fairweather. She received the MBE for her services and received a Harmon Trophy award posthumously in 1950.

Gower married Wing Commander Bill Fahie in 1944. She died in 1947 giving birth to twin sons.

References and further reading

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/20_08_01/monday/info4.shtml Pauline Gower] , BBC Women's Hour, 20 August 2001
* [http://www.motherflieshurricanes.com/historyATA.htm Brief History of the ATA]
* [http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/airshow01/riat/parttwo/parttwo.htm Women in aviation]
* [http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp55296 Portraits at the National Picture Gallery]
* [http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/gower.html Aviation Pioneers : An Anthology]
* [http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101062318/ Gower (married name Fahie), Pauline Mary de Peauly (1910–1947), aviator (by Michael Fahie)] at the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
* Curtis, Lettice, "The Forgotten Pilots", Nelson Saunders, Olney, Bucks, 1985 ISBN 0-947750-02-9
* Edwards, Owen Dudley, "The Battle of Britain and Children's Literature" in Paul Addison & Jeremy A. Crang (eds), "The Burning Blue: a new history of the Battle of Britain." London: Pimlico, 2000. ISBN 0712664750
* Edwards, Owen Dudley, "British Children's Fiction of the Second World War." Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007. ISBN 0748616519
* Fahie, Michael, "A Harvest of Memories: The Life of Pauline Gower, MBE." Peterborough: GMS Enterprises, 1995. ISBN 1870384377