Henry Eric Maudslay

Henry Eric Maudslay, DFC (21 July 1921 – 17 May 1943) was a pilot with No. 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was killed in action while taking part in Operation Chastise, popularly known as the 'Dam Busters' raid.

Early life 
Henry Eric Maudslay was born on 21 July 1921 at Leamington Spa to Reginald and Gwendolen Maudslay.

For his education, he first attended Beaudesert School, a preparatory school at Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire. From there, he went on to Eton College where he represented the school at athletics and rowing. In rowing Maudslay was made the school Captain of the Boats in 1940 and he won the six mile cross country run for Eton in 35 minutes and 40 seconds. He also had success in the steeplechase, the one mile and the half mile.

Military Service

1940-43 
Maudslay had planned to join the Royal Air Force as an officer cadet at RAF Cranwell. However, the outbreak of the Second World War led to his volunteering in May 1940.

After pilot training in Canada, as part of the Commonwealth joint air plan, he returned to Britain in February 1941 and was posted to 44 Squadron at RAF Waddington.

He flew 29 operations in this period and won a Distinguished Flying Cross for an attack on two cargo ships with the cloud base dropping to 300 feet.

In December 1941, he and other members of the squadron were sent to RAF Boscombe Down. There he participated in service trials and other work on the new heavy bomber, the Avro Lancaster.

Maudslay carried out training assignments till his return to combat operations at RAF Skellingthorpe with 50 Squadron on 1 January 1943. He then moved with his crew to join 617 Squadron at RAF Scampton, although not all would fly with him on the Dams raid.

617 Squadron 
On 25 March 1943, Maudsley and his crew moved to join their new squadron RAF Scampton.

He wrote to his mother:

Operation Chastise 
On the night of 17 May 1943, Maudslay flew as commander of B Flight in his Lancaster, call sign Z-Zebra, against the Eder Dam. The geography made the approach difficult with he and comrade Dave Shannon making several approaches.

When Z-Zebra's Upkeep bouncing bomb was dropped it struck the dam's parapet. It is believed that the resulting explosion damaged the aircraft. A red Very light was fired from Z-Zebra and the Squadron Leader, Guy Gibson, called out to Maudsley asking "Are you ok?" To which the faint signal came in reply, "I think so. Stand by..." which was the last known voice contact with the aircraft.

The aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire at Emmerich before crashing near Klein-Netterden with the loss of the entire crew.

Gibson wrote of Maudslay: 

Maudslay was initially buried at Düsseldorf North Cemetery before being reburied at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery on 3 October 1946. There he rests in the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

His grave stone carries the inscription, "He died gloriously in the breaching of the Eder Dam." 

A tribute was paid in The Times by someone writing under the initials J. D. H.:

In popular culture 
Maudslay was portrayed in the 1955 feature film 'The Dam Busters' by Richard Thorp.

References 

Category:Aviators
Category:1921 births
Category:1943 deaths
Category:British military personnel killed in World War II
Category:British World War II pilots
Category:British World War II bomber pilots
Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
Category:Royal Air Force officers
Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II
Category:Royal Air Force pilots of World War II