15 Facts About Margot Gore

Margaret Wyndham Gore, known as Margot Gore, was a leading British aviator and osteopath.

Margot Gore was appointed MBE for her service as a commander in the Air Transport Auxiliary.

Margot Gore's family moved to Ireland, where she spent her childhood running free with the local hunt and obtaining little formal education.

Margot Gore wanted a career in medicine but lacked the academic background.

Margot Gore worked as a secretary at Smithfield Market to raise money for flying lessons, and she later undertook subsidised lessons with the Civil Air Guard in 1938 as war became inevitable.

Margot Gore was taught to fly by Gabrielle Patterson, who encouraged her to become a qualified instructor in 1939.

Margot Gore was not amongst the first eight but she was the tenth and in the next batch to be recruited in June 1940.

Margot Gore rose to head the Hamble ATA ferry pool in 1941 with Rosemary Rees as her second in command.

Margot Gore was now a flight captain with all female recruits, delivering aircraft as they were manufactured to operational units around the country.

Margot Gore was the first to train on the Halifax bomber and she is believed to be the first woman to pilot an American Flying Fortress.

Margot Gore was the first recruit to the WAAF Voluntary Reserve branch at White Waltham Airfield when it was formed in 1947.

Margot Gore still wanted to enter medicine and she studied physics, chemistry and biology in order to enter a course in Osteopathy.

Margot Gore was given the gold medal as the best student in 1954 after three years at the British School of Osteopathy.

Margot Gore went on to teach at the school and rose to be on the board of the school, and in 1968 she was vice-chairman of the Osteopathic Educational Foundation.

Margot Gore is recognised as one of the key people who shaped the school after the war.