39347, Wing Commander (pilot), Henry George Fradgeley GAUBERT [DFC]
Aged 33
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Henry George Fradgeley GAUBERT was born in Southampton on 25th July 1911 (Southampton Q3-1911 2C:130), son of Walter Fradgeley and Lilian Henrietta GAUBERT
(née BENBOW). Usually Henry, sometimes Hervey (transcription error ?)
He was a member of 3rd Scout Troop Bury St.Edmund (Culford School). He was educated at Gibraltar, Bury St.Edmunds and King Edward VII Nautical School in London. In the 1939 register his widowed mother was in a Nursing Home in Southampton. Hervey G.F. GAUBERT married Patricia May LODGE in Calcutta 4th June 1940. In 1947 she married as Patience Mary GAUBERT to Geoffrey Dalton LONGHURST. His will gives him as Hervey George Fradgeley GAUBERT, British Legation, Bogota, Colombia, South America As a schoolboy of 14 he sailed from London to Gibraltar on "Morea" on 24th July 1925. From the following it appears he was at that time serving in the Merchant Navy. He certainly left Southampton as a seaman aboard "Tempo" bound for Tangiers on 3rd February 1933. |
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He was commissioned probationary Pilot Officer on 31st January 1937, being confirmed in the rank on 16th November 1937. In the meantime,
the Times recorded on 2nd November 1937 that he had passed as Interpreter 1st Class in Spanish. Promoted to Flying Officer w.e.f 16th May 1939 and gazetted Flight Lieutenant on 27th September 1940. On 25th October 1940 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for gallant and distinguished service during operations in Waziristan the previous year. Promoted to temp. Squadron Leader on 13th August 1943. His service included 13 Squadron at Odiham and Nos.20 and 28 Squadrons based in India. His last appointment was as an Air Attaché to the British Legation in Bogota, Colombia. He was authorised to go to Washington DC to collect an aircraft which was being taken on strength of the Legation. Together with Squadron Leader William G. WILLIAMS [MiD] R.A.F.(formerly of 614 Sqn); Flight Officer Joan M. BUSHBY W.A.A.F; Flight Officer Violet B.Q. SHELLY W.A.A.F and Section Officer Eleanor Victoria WEATHERHEAD W.A.A.F., he took off from Bolling Field, Washington D.C. in Beech Expeditor I, ser.no.HB-182. After re-fuelling in Charleston Army Airbase, South Carolina, they continued on their planned flight via Miami to Colombia but disappeared. The next day wreckage was found along the shoreline at St.Simon's Island off Brunswick, Georgia. It appears that the body of Section Officer Weatherhead was recovered since she is buried in Brunswick(Palmetto) Cemetery, Georgia. The Bury Free Press of 8th April 1944 reported:- WING COMMANDER GAUBERT D.F.C. According to Reuter, it is reported that among those members of the R.A.F.delegation in Washington, killed in an air crash in Florida on March 25th was Wing Commander H.G.F. Gaubert, D.F.C., a former member of Culford School Wing Commander Gaubert has had a distinguished and interesting career. On leaving school he trained as an officer in the Merchant Navy, then after a short period of service in the Palestine Police, was awarded a short service commission in the R.A.F. in 1936. He was awarded the D.F.C. for gallantry during flying operations on the North West frontier, and a permanent commission. After several years service in India, he was posted as Air Attaché to the Central American Governments, and visited the school just prior to leaving this country. Wing Commander Gaubert spent his early life in Gibraltar, and had an excellent command of Spanish. He leaves a widow, but no family, and is remembered by all who knew him at Culford as a most charming personality. |
Ottawa Memorial is a monument in Ottawa, Ontario, that commemorates almost 800 men and women who lost their lives while serving
or
training with the Air Forces of the Commonwealth in Canada, the West Indies and the United States and who have no known grave.
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details