Squadron Leader F. A. O. "Tony" Gaze, DFC**

An Australian Ace

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© Written by Allan Hillman; no reproduction without permission, please.

Basically Tony Gaze was blamed for losing most of the aircraft and lost his command shortly afterwards. Too valuable to lose, he came back and flew with 66 Squadron, being shot down in September 1943 and escaping back to the UK. It took him a month to return to the UK and he was then hospitalised to recover from his injuries. After recovering from this, he served in the Air Fighting Development Unit between February and July 1944 and surreptitiously flew with 442 (Caribou) Squadron RCAF – 144 (RCAF) Wing – (probably because of his friendship with its Wingco Flying Johnnie Johnson).  I believe he was the first pilot to land in Normandy, again with 144 (RCAF) Wing, and then, from July, he was with 610 (County of Chester) Squadron until March 1945, then to 41 Squadron and finally flew Meteors with 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron. After the war he had a reasonably successful career as a race driver – including early Grand Prix’s.

With 41 Squadron, he became a double ace during April 1945 by downing a Ju 52/3m (in SM823/EB-E), a shared Ar234 (RB143), a shared FW 190D (SM826) and, on 30 April, a solo Fw 190D in SM823/EB-E. Then he moved over to 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron for the last few days of hostilities flying Meteors.

DRIVER: TONY GAZE

A Spitfire pilot in Britain from the age of 21, Gaze flew as Douglas Bader's wingman from March 1941. One of Tangmere's satellite aerodromes was called Westhampnett and when not flying Gaze and others raced around the circuit's perimeter roads in MGs. He was shot down over Le Treport in 1943 but escaped back to England and in June 1944 became the first Allied airman to land back on European soil. He later switched to Meteor jets and ended the war as a Squadron Leader with two awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross and "ace" status having been credited with 12.5 "kills" in aerial combat.

Squadron Leader Tony Gaze DFC**

Australian Tony Gaze joined Bader at Tangmere in March 1941 flying with 610 Squadron, scoring several victories during the high summer of that famous year. In 1942 he posted to 616 Squadron and then commanded 64 Squadron. In September 1943 he joined 66 Squadron but was shot down. Evading capture he escaped back to England. In July 1944 he flew again with 610 Squadron then 41 Squadron. In the final days of the war he flew Meteor jets with 616 Squadron.

Tony Gaze finished the war an Ace with 11 and 3 shared destroyed, 4 probable and one V1. He was awarded the DFC with 2 bars.

He also flew with Johnnie Johnson over Berlin – “Wing Leader” by Johnnie Johnson

“I led the Wing on the Berlin show at the first opportunity. For this epic occasion our first team took to the air. George (Keefer – the Wing Leader) led a squadron and Tony Gaze flew with me again – the first time since we flew together in Bader’s wing. We swept to Berlin at a couple of thousand feet above the ground, over a changing sunlit countryside of desolate heathland, small lakes and large forests, with the empty, double ribbon of the autobahn lying close on our starboard side.” It gives a few more details about how Tony Gaze spotted “Fifty-plus at two o’clock” – they turned out to be Russians.

At the Kastrup victory air show he flew a 616 Squadron Meteor.

History

In the dark days of the late 1930s with war in Europe imminent, the British Air Ministry requisitioned land from the Duke of Richmond and Gordon's Estate to provide an emergency landing ground close to RAF Tangmere.

The airfield was upgraded to Tangmere's "satellite" in early 1940 and the first squadrons of Hurricane moved in. In the winter of 1940/41 the poor drainage in area caused the ministry to build a concrete perimeter track around the grass aerodrome.

During the war Westhampnett saw much action from the Battle of Britain to the Normandy landings and "D-Day." Douglas Bader flew from here and Canadian, Polish and US pilots were also based here too.

By now the perimeter track had a proper tarmac surface, a fact which did not escape Australian born Squadron Leader Tony Gaze and Squadron Leader "Dickie" Stoop, both of whom were stationed at Westhampnett, and in their off hours were often seen tearing around the perimeter in their MGs'

After the war Gaze suggested to his friend, the Duke of Richmond, what a great place Westhampnett would be for motor racing. The idea quickly caught on in era when ex-RAF aerodromes such as Silverstone, Boreham, Turnberry, and Davidstow were all being considered for the first post war car races.

Gerhard Vogt

Gerhard Vogt was born on 29 November 1911 at Raudten near Lüben in Niederschlesien. Vogt joined JG 26 based on the Channel front on 16 September 1941 following completion of his flying training. Obergefreiter Vogt was assigned to 6./JG 26. He recorded his first victory when he shot down a RAF Spitfire fighter over Calais on 6 November 1941. On 24 March 1942, Unteroffizier Vogt was wounded in combat with Spitfires. He force-landed at Abbeville in his Fw 190A-1 (W.Nr. 013) “Brown 13”. By the end of 1942, Vogt had accumulated 11 victories. On 2 February 1943, Vogt was shot down, again by Spitfires, over St Omer. His Bf 109G-4 (W.Nr. 161 29) “Brown 10” dived vertically but he managed to bale out, albeit with severe wounds to his shoulder and foot. He was to be hospitalised for four months at Arras. Feldwebel Vogt was back in action on 22 June 1943, when he shot down a USAAF B-17 four-engined bomber straggler into the Channel off Dunkirk for his 12th victory. Vogt’s Fw 190A-5 (W.Nr. 410 006) “Brown 13” was hit by return fire from the B-17 he was attacking on 30 July. He attempted to ram his target then baled out with serious injuries. He crash-landed his damaged Fw 190A-4 (W.Nr. 2456) “Brown 11” at Romilly-sur-Seine after being hit by return fire from the B-17s he was attacking on 3 September. He was slightly injured in the incident. On 4 September, Vogt shot down a Spitfire near Le Tréport for his 14th victory. It transpired that his victim was Australian Ace Flt Lt FAO “Tony” Gaze (12.5 confirmed, 4 probable and 5 damaged victories) of 66 Sqn, RAF, who evaded and later returned to combat duty. By November, Vogt was serving with 7./JG 26. Vogt was ordered to scramble with 7./JG 26 after three Spitfires flying in line abreast over the fighter airfields at Valenciennes, Douai, Vitry and Epinoy on 28 January 1944. The Spitfires were engaged and two were badly damaged but managed to make it back to England. The third, the leader, was chased by Vogt and shot down as he climbed for the protection of the cloud cover. The enemy pilot baled out but became caught up on his aircraft’s tail. He was to die in hospital several hours later. It transpired that Vogt had shot down another prominent Allied fighter pilot. P/O Claude Weaver (12.5 confirmed and 3 probable victories) of 403 Sqn RAF, who was an American flying with the RAF. Oberfeldwebel Vogt was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 5 May for 26 victories. On 15 June 1944, Leutnant Vogt assumed command of 7./JG 26 when Oberleutnant Waldemar Radener (37 victories, RK) was seriously wounded in aerial combat. On 5 July, Vogt was injured when his Fw 190 A-8 (W.Nr. 170 661) “Brown 13” hit power lines as he was attempting a crash-landing between Buré and Mele sur Sarthe following combat with Spitfires. Vogt was appointed Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 26 on 14 August 1944, replacing Hauptmann Walter Matoni (34 victories, RK) who was taking up the position of Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 11. He achieved his 40th victory on 21 September, over Nijmegen when JG 26 intercepted paratroop-carrying C-47s heading for Arnhem. Vogt was shot down again on 28 October, following aerial combat with RAF Typhoon fighters near Venlo. He received minor injuries when he crash-landed his Fw 190A-8 (W.Nr. 175 130) “White 13”. Vogt was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 25 November for 46 victories. Oberleutnant Vogt led 5./JG 26 during Operation Bodenplatte, the attack on the Allied airfields in The Netherlands and Belgium on 1 January 1945. On 14 January 1945, JG 26 was ordered to engage Allied fighter-bombers harassing German ground troops in the Ardennes region. In transit to their assigned patrol zone 5./JG 26 was engaged by USAAF fighters. Vogt was shot down and killed in the ensuing combat crashing with his Fw 190 D-9 (W.Nr. 210 176) “White 13” near Köln.

Gerhard Vogt was credited with 48 victories in 174 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Western front and included eight four-engined bombers.

No. 14, 4.9.1943, 10:30, Spitfire, 6./JG 26, S Le Tréport, Spitfire V of 66 Sqn RAF flown by F/L FAO Gaze (12.5/4/5 victories), evaded and returned.