John Henry Percival Gauvain MRCS, LRCP RAFVR
RAF Elsham Wolds Station Medical Officer 1942 to 1943
John Gauvain was born in New Zealand, Waiuku on 29 Aug 15, but left New Zealand at an early age. The family came from the Channel Islands and travelled extensively in the 20s and 30s. His father was William Percy Gauvain was a prominent civil engineer involved in gold mining and director of several gold mining and electric power companies. He was a former Cambridge graduate and a very highly qualified engineer. In 1905 he had been appointed as engineer to the Waihi Gold Mining Company in New Zealand and was promoted to assistant general manager. In 1920 he returned to the UK and set up in business on his own account.
His uncle was Sir Henry Gauvain who was a famous British Surgeon and TB specialist and who was a great believer in fresh air and sunlight in the treatment of his patients.
In 1901/02 his father was living at Conaways, Cheam, Ewell apparently with a fellow engineer Henry Davy.
Both were from the Channel Islands and were possibly related
On their return from NZ the family lived at Tadworth.
John was educated at St Ronans and Stowe
He was married in Dec 1939 and their first was born in Devon and the later two in Suffolk.
John moved to Little Beanings Suffolk before his father’s death in 1942
John Gauvain enlisted in the RAFVR - Medical Branch on the 27th September 1939 was was posted to RAF Martlesham Heath 1939 and RAF Cardington in 1940. In 1941 he was posted to HQ No 3 Group.
Then, in 1942, he was posted to RAF Elsham Wolds where he stayed for a year as Station Medical Officer. He was certainly mentioned by the local Barton GP, Dr Tom Kirk, at this time who visited the airfield on occasions and knew him well along with 103 Sqn MO Robert Henderson.
Gauvain was again posted to the Middle East as a Medical Officer in 1943 and was serving at HQ 203 Group as Flying Medical Officer in 1944.
Sadly he was killed in a flying accident on the 14th August 1944 when Fairchild Argus II ( see below )
Crashed into ground 8 miles south of Abu Sueir between 0900/0915.
Thought control lost while flying in low cloud.
FS562 of the ME Comms Sqn - pilot F/L Brian Rouse Terry DFC RAFVR - crashed in Egypt. Cause unknown.
S/L John Henry Percival Gauvain RAFVR – 28 - Son of William Percy Gauvain and Gladys May Gauvain - Moascar War Cemetery, Egypt.
Brian Terry is buried in the next grave.
John Gauvain rose from F/O to S/L and was mentioned in dispatches twice.
For further details on John Gauvain see St Ronan’s web page. Click link Below :-
John Henry Percival Gauvain
Compiled by David Fell with thanks to Julie Wookey. Photos from Find a Grave and the Dupas archive.
Also many thanks to Brian Bouchards for his input
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