Born in 1918 in Galt, Ontario: home in Campbellford, Ontario. Former soldier; enlisted in Hamilton, 7 November 1941. Trained at No.3 BGS (graduated 20 November 1942). 77 Squadron (Esse Potius Quam Videri). F/S Gaudy succumbed to wounds he sustained when his Halifax aircraft JB 856 was hit over the target on July 4, 1943. One of the crew, not Canadian, was also killed. The aircraft returned to base and landed safely. Addendum: Sgt. Gaudy was 25 at the time of his death, Sgt. A. Cuthbertson (RAF) was the other member of the crew to be killed. F/O J. Hall (RAF), Sgt(s) A. Morley (RAF), LT. Williams (RAF), J. Whiteley (RAF), and P/O R.A. Blackwell (RAF) were all safe. Sgt. Gaudy was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal effective 13 July 1943 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 1949/43 dated 24 September 1943. Cited with F/O John Hall, RAF (awarded DFC). The citation reads - "One night in July 1943, Flying Officer Hall and Sergeant Goudy were captain and rear gunner respectively of an aircraft detailed to attack Cologne. When nearing the target area the bomber was intercepted by an enemy fighter but Flying Officer Hall evaded it. A few minutes later the aircraft was illuminated by a cone of searchlights and hit by anti-aircraft fire but Flying Officer Hall held to his course and pressed home his attack. Almost immediately the bomber was hit by gun fire from an enemy fighter and sustained severe damage. Skilflul evading action enabled Flying Officer Hall to fly clear of the defenses and course was set for base. At the beginning of the action Sergeant Gaudy was seriously wounded, sustaining a fracture of the hip bone and pelvis, splinters of which pierced organs in his abdomen. In spite of this, Sergeant Gaudy refrained from informing his captain of his injuries until another Wounded comrade had received attention. During the return flight he remained constantly alert to the possibility of enemy interference and gave reassuring replies to his captain's repeated inquiries as to his welfare. On reaching the English coast morphine had to be administered to him as his pains from his injuries were unendurable. Flying Officer Hall succeeded in reaching an airfield where he landed without the assistance of flaps. In the face of a trying ordeal he displayed outstanding skill, courage and determination while Sergeant Goudy's indomitable spirit, fortitude and tenacity were worthy of the highest praise." Detail provided by H. Halliday, Orleans, Ontario.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

 Serial Groups  Specifications 

Handley Page Halifax

(RAF Photo, 1942)(Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page)A Royal Air Force Handley Page Halifax Mk. II Series I (Serial No. W7676), coded TL-P, of No. 35 Squadron, RAF, based at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire in the UK, being piloted by Flight Lieutenant Reginald Lane, (later Lieutenant-General, RCAF), over the English countryside. Flt Lt Lane and his crew flew twelve operations in W7676, which failed to return from a raid on Nuremberg on the night of 28/29 August 1942, when it was being flown by Flt Sgt D. John and crew.

The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester.

The Halifax has its origins in the twin-engine HP56 proposal of the late 1930s, produced in response to the British Air Ministry's Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for "world-wide use." The HP56 was ordered as a backup to the Avro 679, both aircraft being designed to use the underperforming Rolls-Royce Vulture engine. The Handley Page design was altered at the Ministry to a four-engine arrangement powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine; the rival Avro 679 was produced as the twin-engine Avro Manchester which, while regarded as unsuccessful mainly due to the Vulture engine, was a direct predecessor of the famed Avro Lancaster. Both the Lancaster and the Halifax would emerge as capable four-engined strategic bombers, thousands of which would be built and operated by the RAF and several other services during the War.

On 25 October 1939, the Halifax performed its maiden flight, and it entered service with the RAF on 13 November 1940. It quickly became a major component of Bomber Command, performing routine strategic bombing missions against the Axis Powers, many of them at night. Arthur Harris, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Bomber Command, described the Halifax as inferior to the rival Lancaster (in part due to its smaller payload) though this opinion was not shared by many of the crews that flew it, particularly for the MkIII variant. Nevertheless, production of the Halifax continued until April 1945. During their service with Bomber Command, Halifaxes flew a total of 82,773 operations and dropped 224,207 tons of bombs, while 1,833 aircraft were lost. The Halifax was also flown in large numbers by other Allied and Commonwealth nations, such as the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Free French Air Force and Polish forces. Wikipedia

Halifax Heavy Bomber WWII

Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Wikipedia Halifax Bomber

National Air Force Museum of Canada

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:

RCAF On Strength (5), RCAF 6 Group (1596), RCAF 400 Squadron (1443), Canadian Aircraft Losses (1562), Canadian Museum(2)

last update: 2023-12-08 20:34:11

Halifax B/GR.Mk.II JB856

Failed to Return, Kassel, 23.10.43
Unit 77

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77 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF) Esse Potius Quam Videri