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 1 Vicarage Road, Leamington Spa, to Reginald Maudslay (a British engineer and car manufacturer) and his wife Gwendolen. 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.

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

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 Maudslay 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.

Gibson wrote of Maudslay:

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

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