Frederick Anthony Owen Gaze OAM DFCx3 (1920 - 2013)

Born 3 Feb 1920 in Prahran, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Emma Catherine (Wakefield) Gaze — married 1949 in Victoria, Australia

Husband of Diana Margery (Crick) Gaze — married Jul 1977 in Victoria, Australia

Died 29 Jul 2013 at age 93 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Tony Gaze OAM DFCx3 is Notable.

Squadron Leader Tony Gaze OAM DFC & two Bars was an Australian fighter pilot and racing driver. He flew with the Royal Air Force in the Second World War, becoming a flying ace, and later enjoyed a successful motor racing career in the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. He was the first Australian to take part in an international Formula One Grand Prix.

Frederick Anthony Owen 'Tony' Gaze

Formative years

Frederick Anthony Owen 'Tony' Gaze was born on 3rd February 1920 at Prahran, Victoria, Australia. ^[1] He was the son of Irvine Gaze, a member of the Ross Sea Party who were preparing for Ernest Shackleton's expedition, ^[2] and his wife, Freda Sadler. The family soon afterward settled at Geelong, Victoria. Tony was educated at Geelong Grammar School.

Marriage

Tony married Emma Catherine Wakefield in 1949 at Victoria. ^[3] Sadly, Emma died in 1976.

Air Force

When war (subsequently known as the Second World War) was declared in September 1939 Tony was a student at Queens' College, University of Cambridge. He subsequently was commissioned in the Royal Air Force, serving as a fighter pilot in the No 610 Squadron (1940-41, 1944-45; his brother, Scott, was killed in action whilst they were both posted to the squadron), No 57 Officer Training Unit (1941-42; instructor), No 616 Squadron (1942, 1943, 1945), No 64 Squadron (1942 command), No 131 Squadron (1942 command), No 66 Squadron (1943-44; crash landed in France and evaded capture), Air Fighting Development Unit 1(944), No 41 Squadron (1942 commander, 1945).

Tony was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses (in 1941 as a Pilot Officer, 1942 as a Flight Lieutenant and 1945 as a Flight Lieutenant), ^[4][5][6] becoming an ace pilot credited with 12.5 confirmed victories (11 and 3 shared), and attained the rank of Squadron Leader.

Motor racing

In 1946, Tony suggested to the Duke of Richmond and Gordon (better known as Freddie March), that the roads around RAF Westhampnett would be a good location for a racing track. Acting on this suggestion, March opened the Goodwood Circuit in 1948. ^[7]

Tony returned to Australia afterward, where he raced an Alta racing car that he brought with him, with sufficient success to whet his appetite for the next chapter. ^[8]

Returning to Britain, he raced an Alta Formula 2 (F2) in Europe for the 1951 season. In 1952, he took part in a number of non-championship F1 events, before entering as a privateer in the Grote Prijs van Belgie (Belgian Grand Prix) at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. After qualifying his HWM-Alta 16th, he finished 15th. By racing in Spa, Tony became the first Australian to contest a World Championship Grand Prix. This race was followed by appearances in the RAC British Grand Prix and the Groβer Preis von Deutschland (German GP). He failed to qualify for the Gran Premio d’Italia (Italian GP). ^[8]

Tony in the 1952 German GP

Tony was a member of the first Australian crew to attempt the Rallye Monte Carlo in a Holden FX with Lex Davison and Stan Jones in 1953; at one point, in the top ten, but finished 64th. He also raced an Aston Martin DB3 in sports car events across Europe; surviving an accident in the Grande Prémio de Portugal, when his car struck a tree after a collision with a Ferrari. He was thrown clear as the Aston flipped over and burst into flames. ^[8]

In 1954 and 1955, Tony raced the ex-Albert Ascari Ferrari 500 F2 in non-championship events in Europe, Australia and New Zealand; including to a third place in the 1954 New Zealand GP. On his return to England, he set up the Kangaroo Stable, the first Australian international racing team, with fellow ex-pats David McKay, Les Cosh, Dick Cobden, Tom Sulman and a young Jack Brabham. They ran three Aston Martin DB3s in green and gold (Jack later ran his Brabham F1 team in those colours), however, 1955 was a difficult season following the disastrous crash at Le Mans. The Stable disbanded at the end of the season, with Tony continuing to race in Europe for another season, also winning the Dunedin Road Race and the Moomba TT and finishing second in the New Zealand GP. He also raced that year in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. ^[8]

Tony was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Australia Day Honours list 2006 for 'service to the sport of motor racing'. ^[9]

Gliding

Tony next tried his hand at gliding, becoming an active member of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Gliding Club. He represented Australia in the 1960 World Gliding Championships at the Butzweiler airfield, near Köln (Cologne, Germany). ^[8]

Second marriage

Following Emma's death in 1976, Tony married again in July 1977, to Diana Davison nee Crick, ^[8] widow of fellow racing driver Lex Davison, and one of the first female racing car drivers in Australia. By doing so, he became step-grandfather to the third generation of Davison racing drivers, Alex, Will and James.

Chequered flag

Widowed once more (in August 2012) and aged 93 years, Tony Gaze passed away on 29th July 2013 at Geelong, Victoria. ^[8]

Tony with fellow Aussie F1 stars Mark Webber and Jack Brabham

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #6579/1920
2. ↑ ABC Rewind 10 Oct 2004: Ross Sea Party; accessed 27 Jan 2021
3. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #8268/1949
4. ↑ Australian Honours: DFC granted 5 Aug 1941; accessed 27 Jan 2021
5. ↑ Australian Honours: DFC granted 19 Jan 1943; accessed 27 Jan 2021
6. ↑ Australian Honours: DFC granted 1 Jun 1945; accessed 27 Jan 2021
7. ↑ Goodwood website; accessed 27 Jan 2021
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6} The Telegraph: Squadron Leader Tony GAze; accessed 27 Jan 2021
9. ↑ Australian Honours: OAM granted 26 Jan 2006; accessed 27 Jan 2021

See also

• Wikipedia profile: Tony Gaze; accessed 27 Jan 2021.
• Wilson, Stewart. Almost Unknown: Squadron Leader Tony Gaze OAM DFC, Fighter Pilot and Racing Driver. Chevron Publishing Group, Lane Cove NSW, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9805912-1-7.