Tony Gaze
| Frederick Anthony Owen Gaze | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Tony |
| Born |
3 February 1920 Prahran, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 29 July 2013 (aged 93) Geelong, Victoria, Australia |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1940–1948 |
| Rank | Squadron Leader |
| Unit |
No. 57 OTU No. 616 Squadron RAF No. 131 Squadron RAF No. 66 Squadron RAF No. 41 Squadron RAF |
| Commands held |
No. 64 Squadron RAF No. 610 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Distinguished Flying Cross & Two Bars Medal of the Order of Australia |
| Spouse(s) | Diana Davison |
| Other work | Motor racing driver |
| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active years | 1952 | ||||||||||
| Teams | Privateer Hersham and Walton Motors | ||||||||||
| Entries | 4 (3 starts) | ||||||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||||||
| Podiums | 0 | ||||||||||
| Career points | 0 | ||||||||||
| Pole positions | 0 | ||||||||||
| Fastest laps | 0 | ||||||||||
| First entry | 1952 Belgian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last entry | 1952 Italian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
|
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| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
|---|---|
| Participating years | 1956 |
| Teams | Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd. |
| Best finish | DNF (1956) |
| Class wins | 0 |
Squadron Leader Frederick Anthony Owen "Tony" Gaze, DFC & Two Bars, OAM (3 February 1920 – 29 July 2013) was a very distinguished and decorated Australian, who was not only an ace fighter pilot credited with 12.5 confirmed victories (11 and 3 shared), but who also was a well known and successful racing driver in the UK, Europe and Australia in the years following the war.
Gaze 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.
Gaze 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 26 June 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.
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