F/O Wallace Gaunt RIP

Kyt · Nov 23, 2008

Death of airman who destroyed Gestapo HQ - Scarborough Evening News

A FORMER Scarborough man who was a crewman in one of the fastest planes in World War Two has died aged 90.
Flying Officer Wallace Gaunt often stayed in Scarborough with his parents in Castle Road but later emigrated to Victoria in Australia.

He was born in 1918 and enlisted as an air observer in the RAF Volunteer Reserve in 1940 before training in South Africa.

Out of the 12 men in his training group he was the only one who survived the first year and was later commissioned in 1942.

He joined 627 Squadron flying in Mosquitos, aircraft built out of plywood which could fly faster than a Spitfire. Mr Gaunt decided the navigational tactics of a route and completed more than 30 operations.

One mission saw him attack and destroy the Gestapo headquarters in Oslo, Norway. During the operation he was injured in the right leg by a cannon shell.

In 1945, he was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross and bar at Buckingham Palace, where King George VI said: “I hear you’ve been having fun in Norway.”

After the war he became a market gardener before moving to Australia, where he ran a supermarket and later taught maths and physics in a school.

His father Victor was a pioneer aviator and designed aeroplanes before the First World War.

Part of his designs helped to build the first Spitfire and he was involved in building the Westland Wapiti, which became the first machine to fly over Mount Everest.

This was followed by the Westland Wallace, which was named after his son.

Mr Gaunt’s cousin Margaret Griffiths, 78, of Knolls Close in Osgodby, said: “He was a very quiet man with a terrific sense of humour. He’s what I call a gentle gentleman.

“Wallace was an exceptionally brave person and would never boast about anything. A lot of people didn’t even know what he had done.

“He came back as often as he could to Scarborough to see his parents and when he emigrated he came over a few times.”

Mr Gaunt leaves three sons and a daughter.
Click to expand...

Antipodean Andy · Nov 23, 2008

RIP to a very good man.

There was an earlier raid led by 105 Sqn, IIRC.

Here's a bit on that raid:
Oslo Mosquito raid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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F/O Wallace Gaunt RIP

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