Pauline Mary de Peauly Gower Fahie (22 July 1910 – 2 March 1947) was a British pilot and writer who established the women's branch of the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War.
She had an older sister, named Dorothy Vaughan after their mother and they grew up at Sandown Court in Tunbridge Wells.
[3] Gower met Dorothy Spicer at the London Aeroplane Club at Stag Lane Aerodrome[4] and they became friends.
[5] Gower was licensed to carry passengers for 'hire or reward', and held a 'B' Pilot's licence after completing the test requirements which included a solo night flight and one hundred hours plus of flying in the day.
[15] 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.
Early members included ice-hockey international Mona Friedlander, Margaret Fairweather (Lord Runciman's daughter) and former ballet dancer Rona Rees.
[20] The British Library holds a recording of Gower talking about her flying experiences over Kent during a night flight as well as her opinions of women being pilots.
She died on 2 March 1947 at her home, 2 The Vale, Chelsea, after giving birth to twin sons, Paul and Michael, who survived.