Tony Gaze

Tony Gaze

Born	3 February 1920 (1920-02-03)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Australian
Active years	1952
Teams	privateer HWM
Races	4 (3 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First race	1952 Belgian Grand Prix
Last race	1952 Italian Grand Prix

Frederick Anthony Owen Gaze DFC & Two Bars, OAM (born 3 February 1920) is a decorated World War II flying ace credited with 12.5 aerial victories and a former racing driver from Australia. He was born in Melbourne. 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. Gaze is also step-grandfather to the third generation of Davison racing drivers, Alex, Will and James.

His war time service highlights included becoming the first Squadron Leader of an Allied jet air wing (RAF 616 squadron) to operate over enemy territory, first Allied pilot to land in France after D-Day, the first Australian to shoot down a jet (Me 262) in combat and becoming the first Australian jet fighter pilot flying the Gloster Meteor during the closing stages of the war. His Me 262 victory also resulted in Tony Gaze being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the third time and as such become the only Australian during World War II to have achieved this honour. He escaped from occupied France with the help of the French Resistance after being shot down in combat. After 488 combat missions he ended the war as Australia's tenth highest ace achieving 12.5 victories all while flying his favourite mount the Supermarine Spitfire. During the war he had also flown with some of the most famous names including Wing Commander Douglas Bader, highest allied European war Ace Johnnie Johnson (Spitfire Ace with 38 victories) as part of the RAF's famous Tangmere Wing and Paul Tibbets (pilot of the 'Enola Gay', B29 Bomber) who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

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 sports car racing in Europe dried up 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. Tony 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'.

Tony Gaze was the son of Irvine Gaze a member of the Ross Sea Party who were preparing for Ernest Shackleton's expedition. Tony Gaze married racing car driver Diana Davison, who was the widow of Lex Davison.

Complete World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	WDC	Points
1952	Tony Gaze	HWM	Alta Straight-4	SUI	500	BEL 15	FRA	GBR Ret	GER Ret	NED	ITA DNQ	NC	0

References

• Stewart Wilson (2009). Almost unknown : squadron leader Tony Gaze OAM DFC : fighter pilot and racing driver. Lane Cove NSW: Chevron Publishing Group. ISBN 9780980591217. 
• Allan Hillman. "Squadron Leader F. A. O. "Tony" Gaze, DFC: An Australian Ace". http://brew.clients.ch/Gaze41Sqdn.htm.