Tony Gaze

Frederick Anthony Owen "Tony" Gaze DFC & Two Bars, OAM (3 February 1920 – 29 July 2013) was a decorated Australian World War II flying ace credited with 12.5 confirmed victories (11 and 3 shared), and a racing driver.

Early life
He was born in Melbourne on 20 February 1920, the son of Irvine Gaze, a member of the Ross Sea Party who were preparing for Ernest Shackleton's expedition. He was educated at Geelong Grammar School, and when war was declared in September 1939 he was a student at Queens’ College, Cambridge.

First success
He joined the RAF in 1940, and on completion of training and with 122 hours flying time recorded was posted to No. 610 Squadron RAF at RAF Westhampnett in March 1941, flying cross-channel fighter sweeps. Gaze's first 'kill' came on June 26 when he downed a Messerschmitt Bf 109. The next month he claimed two further victories, one half and two probables. For these victories he was awarded the first of three DFCs. His brother, Pilot Officer Scott Gaze had joined No. 610 Squadron RAF with him in early 1941, but was killed in action on 23 March 1941. In November 1941 Gaze was posted to No. 57 OTU as an instructor.

He started his second tour in June 1942, with No. 616 Squadron RAF, flying the high altitude Spitfire Mk.IV. During the ill-fated Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942, he received his second DFC after destroying an enemy fighter. In late August 1942 he was posted to command No. 64 Squadron RAF flying the new Spitfire IX.

Demotion and escape after being shot down
On 26 September 1942 Gaze led a wing of Spitfires in support of a bombing raid Morlaix. An Eagle Squadron,No. 131 Squadron RAF, became scattered in high winds and lost 11 of 12 fighters. Gaze was made the scapegoat for the mission failure and was transferred back to No. 616 Squadron as a flight commander. It was later determined that the cause of the high losses on that mission were down to pilot inexperience and unexpected adverse weather.

After a rest from operations in early 1943, he again was posted to an operational Squadron in August 1943, to No. 66 Squadron RAF at RAF Kenley. On 4 September 1943 over Le Tréport after downing a Focke Wulf 190 Gaze's own Spitfire V was shot down by Heinz-Gerhard Vogt of II./JG 26 (his 14th claim of an eventual 48). Gaze crash landed 20 miles from Dieppe with slight injuries, evading capture and making his way, with help from the French Resistance, to neutral Spain.

Back to Britain
In February 1944 he joined the Air Fighting Development Unit (ADFU) at Wittering, rejoining No. 610 Squadron on the continent in July 1944. He claimed a Messerschmitt Me 262 jet shot down near Emmrich on Rhine on 14 February 1945 (a Me 262A-2 of I./KG 51 flown by Rudolf Hoffmann) (the first Australian to achieve this feat) and shared an Arado Ar 234 jet bomber on 12 April 1945.

The Me 262 victory resulted in Gaze being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the third time; one of only 47 men in the Second World War.

After a month with No. 41 Squadron RAF in April, on 1 May 1945 he was posted to command No. 616 squadron, becoming the first Australian to fly the Gloster Meteor in combat during the closing stages of the war.

During the war he had also flown with some of the most famous names including Wing Commander Douglas Bader, top Allied ace Johnnie Johnson (38 victories) as part of the RAF's Tangmere Wing and Paul Tibbets, pilot of the 'Enola Gay', B29 Bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

List of air victories
Gaze ended the war as Australia's tenth ranking highest ace, claiming 12.5 confirmed destroyed (11 and 3 shared (note: below list includes the destruction of a V1)), 4 probables, and 5 damaged in 488 combat missions, all while flying the Spitfire.

Motor racing
After the war Gaze became the first Australian to contest a World Championship motor race when he competed in the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix. His racing career saw him competing in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in open wheelers and sports cars. Early in 1955 Tony helped to established Australia’s first all Australian overseas racing team called ‘The Kangaroo Stable’ that included racing drivers such as Jack Brabham, Tom Sulman, David McKay, Les Cosh and Dick Cobden but after the tragic 1955 Le Mans race many events in Europe were cancelled leading to the Stable disbanding later that year. He also helped establish the Goodwood motor racing circuit in 1948 by suggesting it as a potential replacement for Brooklands to the then Duke of Richmond. Today the Goodwood circuit is again a premier track as it stages the annual 'Festival of Speed' and 'Goodwood Revival' meetings. Later he helped with the development of Australian motorsport and represented Australia in the 1960 World Gliding Championships in Germany. Gaze was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2006 New Year's Honours List for 'service to the sport of motor racing'.

He participated in four World Championship Grands Prix driving his HWM, debuting on 22 June 1952. He also participated in numerous non-Championship Formula 2 races across Europe as well as competing in the Australian and New Zealand Grands Prix in the early 1950s.

Complete World Championship results
(key)

Personal life
Tony Gaze was married twice; to Kay Wakefield who died in 1976 and to fellow racing car driver Diana Davison who died in 2012. Davison was the widow of Lex Davison. Gaze was also step-grandfather to the third generation of Davison racing drivers, Alex, Will and James.

Medals and awards