No’15 Ferry Pool Hamble
Educated at Bedford High School (but mainly grew up in Ireland). Margot Gore had a little formal Education but this ceased at 16 when the Family returned to England. Her desire was to Study Medicine, but her basic Education & lack of Financial support prevented this. Instead, she turned to her 2nd enthusiasm – Flying. She had taken a menial Job at Smithfield Market in order to pay for her Flying Lessons. The Formation of the Civil Air Guard in 1938, which provided subsidised Flight Training at Civilian Flying Schools throughout the Country, created a need for more Instructors. This was the opportunity Margot needed, and by the Outbreak of War she was Instructing at Romford Flying Club, Essex. In spite of Official disquiet. In January 1940 the Women’s Section of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) with its Initial intake of 8 experienced Airwomen became a reality under its Commandant, Pauline Gower. They were to supplement the older Airmen who formed the ATA. Margot Gore was recruited with the 2nd Intake in June 1940 and quickly adapted to the role of Flying new and repaired Tiger Moths between Factories & Operational Airfields.
The Royal Aero Club Certificate or ‘Ticket’ normally involved:
2-Distance Flights of at least 5-km each, including:
1-Altitude Flight with a minimum height of 50M
The Rules declared that:
“The Course should be marked out by 2-Posts no more than 500M apart. After each Turn round one of the Posts, the Pilot must change the Direction of Flight when going round the 2nd Post so the Circuit is an uninterrupted Series of Figures of 8”
“The Method of Alighting for each of the Flights should be with the Motor stopped at, or before, Touching the Ground. The Aeroplane must come to Rest within a distance of 50M from a Point previously indicated by the Candidate”
It was a chance to gain an A-Certificate which would allow them to Fly for Pleasure (or potentially, Business).
When the Civil Air Guard Scheme was Announced, Members of the Public could Enrol in 76-Flying Clubs in the UK for Basic Flying Training. The Romford Flying Club was one such Club. The Romford Club had recently completed negotiations for use of a 100-acre Landing Field at Fairlop. This Field has been Licensed by the Air Ministry, and in future all Pupils would receive instruction here.” In 1938 it was used by the Romford Flying Club for Training Flights due to Maylands becoming surrounded by Housing and the frequent Noise & Low Flying complaints. The Official Opening Ceremony was on the 24th September 1938 performed by Mrs F G (Maxine) Miles, Commissioner of the Civil Air Guard, who arrived in a Miles Monarch, (which she helped Design). Amongst the other Aircraft attending were Miss Pauline Gower in her Spartan Aircraft.
In spite of Official disquiet. In January 1940 the Women’s Section of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) with its Initial intake of 8-experienced Airwomen became a reality under its Commandant, Pauline Gower. They were to supplement the older Airmen who formed the ATA. Margot Gore was Recruited with the 2nd Intake in June 1940 and quickly adapted to the Role of Flying new and repaired Tiger Moths between Factories & Operational Airfields.
Margot was one of those people who get to be ‘Head Girl‘, all their life. Having only made her 1st Solo Flight in November 1938 at Romford Flying Club, she was one of the Assistant Instructors there by the following September, along with Gabrielle Patterson & Joan Hughes. On the Outbreak of WW2, she was one of the 2nd batch of Women Pilots for the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), starting on the 25th June 1940 as ‘W.10‘ – the 10th-Woman Pilot. She was consistently praised, both for her Flying and her organisational ability: “First Officer Gore is a very steady & reliable Pilot and has undertaken responsibilities in the Office which she has carried out well.” Eventually, she was promoted to be Officer Commanding, No.15 Ferry Pool of Women Pilots at Hamble – one of only 2 Women to achieve the Rank of ‘Commander‘, the other being Aberdeenshire’s Marion Wilberforce.
An ATA Ferry Pool started at Hamble–on-Solent in September 1940, led by Captain Brian Wardle, and at the beginning it was a sub-Pool of No.1 Ferry Pool, but soon it became No.15 Ferry Pool and a year later an all-Women Ferry Pool. They took over from the all-Male Ferry pool with the previous Head of Pool, Australian Geoff Wikner, leaving to be replaced by Margot Gore as CO (Commanding Officer) with Rosemary Rees as her Deputy. Alison King was appointed the non-Flying Operations Officer.
Alison Elsie King had her feet always firmly on the Ground, King served as an Operations Officer throughout the War. Initially Based at Hatfield and later at Hamble, King was responsible for arranging the ATA’s Flying Programmes. There in the Operations Book lay the whole meaning of the Hatfield Ferry Pool’s existence, the Programme for the day, the Aircraft that were to be Delivered from one place to another, the Aircraft which were needed for their separate, vital Jobs’
Alison Elsie King – Oral History (3-Reels) – Her book (‘Golden Wings’, 1956) tells us that she was “a Member of the Civil Air Guard (CAG) who joined ATA in 1940 as a ‘sub-sub-Adjutant’. She became the 1st Woman Operations Officer, dealing with the daily movement of Ferried Aircraft. In October 1941 she was with those who took over Hamble Ferry Pool – the 1st time Women were allowed to Fly everything that was needed of them. After the War she joined BOAC, then, deciding to ‘give it all up’, lived in a Cottage in a remote Suffolk Village. Not long after, however, she was back in London, and in 1953 became Director of the Women’s Junior Air Corps. In 1956 she was also appointed Chairman of the recently formed British Women Pilots’ Association.” d.1992
Margot Gore was also one of the 11-Women cleared to Fly 4-Engined Aircraft, which she did so from May 1943 – “A Keen & Confident Pilot of above Average Ability”, but once she took over as OC at Hamble, she cut down her Flying Hours considerably, prompting the Head of the ATA (Gerard d’Erlanger) to write “In her Capacity of Commanding Officer, No.15 Ferry Pool, Commander Gore runs her Pool in an eminently satisfactory manner. However, I am very surprised that she has only done some 5-hrs Flying in 7-months on Ferry Types. There may be some reason for this of which I am unaware, but if not she must make every effort to put in time.” Finally, she was one of only 6-Women to get a Medal for her Service in the ATA – an MBE in 1946. [The other MBEs were Felicity Bragg, Pauline Gower, Joan Hughes, Roy (Mary) Sharpe & Rosemary Rees, although Phillippa Bennett, Victoria Cholmondley & Elisabeth May got ‘Commendations’.] ATA activities continued at Hamble until the end of the War with Flying ceasing on Saturday 11th August 1945 & the Ferry Pool closed on the 15th.
Back row, L to R, are: Pam Tulk-Hart, Joy (Gough) Lofthouse, , Monique Agazarian & Helen Kerly
Front row, L to R, are: Rita Baines, Rosemary Bannister, Faith Bennett, Rosemary Rees, Margot Gore, Veronica (Innis) Volkersz, Jackie Sorour, Mary Wilkins, Margaret Frost.
2nd Row: Maureen Dunlop, Margot Dunhalle (Chile), Flt Captain Philippa Bennett, CO Margot Gore, Flt Capt Rosemary Rees, Flt Captain Veronica (Innes )Volkersz, 1st Officer Anna Leska, First Officer Mary (Wilkins) Ellis
Bottom: Joy (Gough) Lofthouse, Maggie Frost, Monique Agazarian, Julie Howden NZ, Peggy Eveleigh
Mid 8: Bobby Leveaux, Mardi Gething, Margot Duhalde, Anne Walker Dora Lang, Jackie Sorour Moggridge, Taniya Whitall, Diana (Barnato) Walker
Ground: Pam Marsh, Phyllis Farquharson, Kay van Doozer, Maureen Dunlop, Grace Stevenson, Emily Chapin, Rosemary Bannister, Pat Parker, Phillippa Bennett, Rachel Nickals, Margot Gore, Alison King, Rosemary Rees, Barbara Murray, Margaret Murray, Doreen Williams, Betty Grant
In September 1941, when No.15 Ferry Pool, Hamble-on-Solent became the 2nd all-Women’s Pool, Margot Gore was promoted Captain and became its Commanding Officer. Here her natural qualities of Leadership together with the high standard she set herself as a Pilot earned her the respect of her Team of fellow Pilots, Engineers & Administrative Staff. In spite of the exhausting Flying Duties, often interrupted by Enemy Action, and the discomfort of return journeys by Train in Wartime Winters, Hamble is remembered by the Women who served there as having a happy, harmonious Atmosphere.
In 1943 Gore was the 1st Woman to go to RAF Marston Moor Class-5 Unit to convert to Flying the Handley Page 4-Engined Halifax Bomber, quickly followed by a further 10-Women who made up the 11–ATA Women qualified to Fly any Type of Aircraft. Margot herself is believed to have been the 1st Woman to Fly the huge Boeing B17, generally known as the ‘Flying Fortress’. Once when Flying an American Lockheed Hudson in the heavily defended Southampton–Portsmouth Area she had a narrow escape on encountering a large Barrage Balloon, Rising just as she was approaching Eastleigh. She managed to clear the Lethal Cables by inches.
Mid Row: ?, ?, ?, ? , ? , Margot Gore, Flight Captain Philippa Bennett, Deputy Flight Captain Rosemary Rees (Lady du Cros), Veronica Innes, Anna Leska, Mary Wilkins Ellis, ?, ?,
Front Row: ?, 3rd Officer Joy (Gough) Lofthouse, Faith Bennet, Monique Agazarian, ?, ?, ?
For her Wartime Services Gore was appointed MBE in 1945, and when the War ended she continued Flying as Chief Flying Instructor at the West London Flying Club at White Waltham, Berks. On the Formation of the WAAF Voluntary Reserve in October 1947, the 1st Recruits were Margot Gore and her former ATA colleague Joan Emily Naylor.
In 1947, she Signed on as ‘Recruit No.1‘ for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Flying) List, designed to Train Pilots for Non-Operational Duties in Emergencies. Joan Emily Nayler, another ATA Woman Pilot, was No.2. She then became Managing Director of the West London Aero Club at White Waltham for a while, until her Career took another Direction entirely; in 1952, aged 39, she Passed out as Gold Medallist (of course) at the British School of Osteopathy and later practised as an Osteopath, eventually becoming (of course) its Chairman. In Retirement she was “an enthusiastic Golfer” and played at County Level. In later life she became the Ladies’ Captain of the Huntercombe Golf Club, Nuffield, Oxon. Originally a Hheathland Course, the Fairways are now mostly bounded by mature Trees & carefully managed Woodland, with Bluebells an added Peril in the Spring. Otherwise, the Course has not much changed over the last Century & Willie Park Jnr would today have little difficulty in recognising his creation. This was the only Course owned by Park Jnr and, unencumbered by the demands of others, he packed the Golf Course with unique Design features that provide a memorable Test of Golf.
By 1948 Gore began to consider again the possibility of a Career in her earlier interest of Medicine and, with encouragement from her close friend Ben Blediscoe, she decided on a Career in Osteopathy. With characteristic thoroughness, she studied Chemistry, Physics & Biology to Higher Certificate standard in order to gain Entrance to the British School of Osteopathy (BSO) in September 1951. Qualifying in June 1954, she was awarded the Gold Medal as the outstanding Student of her year. The Official Opening of the Building as the British College of Naturopathy took place on 2nd October 1954. It had been decided unanimously that the House would be called ‘Frazer House’ in honour of the generous Benefactor Hector Frazer who performed the Opening Ceremony. The Original House was designed in the 2nd half of the 19thC by 2-Eminent Architects, Batterbury & Huxley. Completed in 1883, it had been Commissioned by the Artist Thomas Davidson, whose Paintings are in the Greenwich Maritime Museum.
She started a Private Practice in Kensington but nevertheless kept close Links with the BSO. Motivated no doubt by her own early lack of Educational Qualifications, she became in the late 1950s one of the 5-Lecturers to introduce a Basic Science Course for 1st-year Students lacking the necessary A-levels or 1st MB Science Qualifications. In 1964 she was appointed Head of the Department of Anatomy & Physiology, and the following year was Eelected to the Board of Governing Directors of the BSO, serving as the Board Representative on the Council of the Osteopathic Educational Foundation. She became Vice-chairman of the Osteopathic Educational Foundation in 1968. In 1970 she moved with her elderly mother to Cookley Green, Oxon, and reduced her Practicing Activities.
Gore’s exceptional organising ability was recognised when she served as Chairman of the Board of Governing Directors of the BSO (1978–82). This was a key Period in the School’s History in which Gore led the Team that realised the Capital of the Freehold of 16-Buckingham Gate and purchased a Long Lease on No.s. 1-4 Suffolk Street, thus increasing the Student Accommodation from 80 to 400 and enabling the Clinic to take an extra 300-Patients per week. It was this move in 1979, allied to the Educational expansion & reorganisation, that culminated in the Validation of the Diploma Course to Honours Degree Status. In recognition of her Outstanding Services to the School Margot was Awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the BSO in 1983.
Margaret (Margot) Gore Wyndham MBE, DO was a very private person and rarely attended Social Functions, and only those Professional Functions where her presence was expected. However, she Co-operated in making Documentary Films concerning the ATA for the BBC in 1984 and Recorded an Interview (4-Reels) with the Imperial War Museum in 1986. Margot Gore died of Cancer on 20th August 1993 at the Sue Ryder Home in Nettlebed, Oxon.
Obituary – d. 28th August 1993
Oxford DNB: “Margaret (Margot) Wyndham Gore (1913–1993), Air Pilot & Osteopath, was born on 24th January 1913 at Carclew, Brighton Road, Worthing, the daughter of William Wyndham Gore, a Mining Engineer, and his wife, Martha Lord. Known as Margot, she had 1-brother, her Twin. The Family moved to Ireland and she grew up enjoying an adventurous childhood, Riding her Pony to the Hunt and ignoring Physical discomforts.
Air Gunner Bob Gill DFM 