George Abecassis
George Edgar Abecassis DFC was an English racing driver who showed no fear, on the track, in the air as a World War II bomber pilot, or as a Prisoner of war. Abecassis, who through sheer determination and skill made the transition from the amateur to the professional in motor racing and helped to create a new marque, HWM, along the way, he was one of the last amateur drivers whose experience and dedication to the sport made him a selfprofessional, and whose success and effort both sides of the WWII, made him a household name. His accomplished and courageous driving of his cars such as Altas and Bugattis, and in the Aston Martin, AustinHealey, and HWM teams, made him an important figure in British racing in its own right.
George was born in the village of Oatlands, Surrey. Both his parents were American citizens, his mother, Marie being born and raised in California, while his father was born in Portugal and had come to England, as a young man with his parents. Together with his sister, Ghita, they lived happily in Oatlands, but inflation, increased tax and poor markets returns meant that in 1918, they relocated to the United States, whose economy was unaffected by World War I.
Source: Wikipedia