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Post by Dave Homewood on May 4, 2012 20:37:37 GMT 12
Does anyone recognise who the Squadron Leader is that signed this, or the unit he worked for?  This is at the bottom of a statement he made following his review of a Court of Inquiry finding following the loss of Ventura NZ4564 at Espiritu Santo. I cannot make out the signature. I'd like to know who he was. |
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Post by grannygussie on May 8, 2012 23:35:21 GMT 12
Don't recognise the sig, don't know the chap BUT there was a Ft Lt Sully who was a controller at Sandwich GCI, during the war, at some point.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 9, 2012 0:09:54 GMT 12
Thanks. Where is Sandwich GCI? The UK?
I suspect the OPS I stands for Operations Intelligence, and if that's the case he was probably based at Santo or Gudalcanal.
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Post by Luther Moore on May 9, 2012 0:22:28 GMT 12
Sorry to hijak your post Dave, but is this signature Hopwood?  |
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Post by errolmartyn on May 9, 2012 9:32:58 GMT 12
Sorry to hijak your post Dave, but is this signature Hopwood? From Colin Hanson’s By Such Deeds - Honours and Awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923-1999: HOPWOOD, Flight Lieutenant Donald Ernest, mid.NZ1313 & 133007; Born London, England, 25 Jan 1907; RNZAF 14 Feb 1940 to 28 Nov 1945, Res. to 13 Sep 1962; Pilot, then Intelligence. Citation Mention in Despatches (12 Jun 1946): For meritorious service. Served as a flying instructor in NZ for 4½ years, followed by a tour in the S & SWPAs as Intelligence Officer with 8 and 4 Sqns RNZAF (both Ventura). Died Auckland, 22 Jun 1959. Errol |
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Post by camtech on May 9, 2012 10:58:15 GMT 12
Dave, the OPS I is more likely to be in fact OPS 1. Old typewriters used the same character face for both I and 1.
Ops 1 would be the senior Operations Officer for the unit concerned, possibly No 1 Islands Group, or some similar headquarters unit.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 9, 2012 11:11:59 GMT 12
Thanks Les, that is a real possibility. I know that the Operations Officers for No. 3 (BR) Squadron at that time were Joe Ward and Ian Rowe, so it's not them. I need to find out who the Ops Officers were at No. 1 Islands Group at that time to see if the theory pans out. Any ideas how to find this out?
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 9, 2012 11:15:58 GMT 12
Actually the cover for this accident report lists all those who read the report and the date (as they always do), and it lists Ops I a couple of times, in handwritten pencil with it looking like a letter I and not a one. However one entry is also Ops 3, which confuses the issue even more.
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Post by Tony on May 9, 2012 12:09:49 GMT 12
The inquiry would have been conducted by someone not attached to the unit concerned.
Similar to what would have happened in our day where any incident on a squadron may have been inquired into by say, Ops Squadron.
That is my assumption anyway and it is open to criticism
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 9, 2012 12:19:10 GMT 12
Yes that is the case. In fact the enquiry into this particular crash was conducted by two officers from No. 6 (FB) Squadron, W/C Ian Alastair Scott (I think that is Jenny Scott's father, who's just written the book Dumbo Diary about that squadron) and F/Lt John Roy Butcher, plus S/Ldr Robert William Fielder from RNZAF Base Depot, Santo.
Court of Enquiry investigators were always detached from the unit. It is interesting that whoever the Squadron Leader was that the signature belongs to actually felt these three men were too detached, having never flown a Ventura or been on such a unit. He stated that they failed to ask the right questions at the CofI and he tried to get the RNZAF to impliment a rule that at least one CofI officer be from a unit that flew the aircraft in question.
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Post by camtech on May 9, 2012 20:06:48 GMT 12
Dave, What is the serial of the aircraft concerned?
I may have something.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 9, 2012 21:33:01 GMT 12
NZ4564
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Post by grannygussie on May 12, 2012 0:57:53 GMT 12
Been off elsewhere. RAF Sandwich, Kent. GCI Ground Control Interception. Sully was Senior Controller, there, tho I don't have dates but the Sandwich set up opened with all the new bells and whistles, in August 1942. I think it may be your chap, as he did a report on a German plane brought down, a FW ? at some point, still as a Flight Lieutenant, but it was hard to make out.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 12, 2012 9:26:57 GMT 12
Was this Flt Lt Sully a New Zealander? What were his first names? It really sounds very unlikely to me that the chap you mention is the man who made my signature. Have you got his signature?
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Post by errolmartyn on May 12, 2012 12:27:48 GMT 12
Was this Flt Lt Sully a New Zealander? What were his first names? It really sounds very unlikely to me that the chap you mention is the man who made my signature. Have you got his signature? No airman or officer of this surname served with the RNZAF during WWII. Errol |
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Post by wheezynana on May 12, 2012 16:01:20 GMT 12
Dave - just been looking at the squadrons listed at the back of 'Portrait of an Air Force' and saw a couple of names that might match the signature - Wg Cdr L. H. Parry who was in the Pacific 43-45ish and Sqn Ldr I. D. Waddy who was with 486 Squadron in England in 43.
Errol will probably have more info on these guys.
Cheers - Anne
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 12, 2012 18:25:13 GMT 12
Thanks for that Errol.
And thanks Anne for those suggestions. Lloyd Hern Parry was a General Reconnaissance pilot, and the timing might match too as he was an Acting Wing Commander in charge of No. 8 (BR) Squadron from the 1st of October till 9th of November 1944. He may have been a Squadron Leader at No. 1 (Islands) Group or similar for a time in mid-1944 I guess. errol can you fill in more on him at that time at all please?
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Post by errolmartyn on May 13, 2012 16:22:51 GMT 12
Does anyone recognise who the Squadron Leader is that signed this, or the unit he worked for? This is at the bottom of a statement he made following his review of a Court of Inquiry finding following the loss of Ventura NZ4564 at Espiritu Santo. I cannot make out the signature. I'd like to know who he was. David Duxbury, who knows a thing or two about the WWII history of the RNZAF, confirms to me that the signature is that of L H Parry and that he was Ops 1 at the time. Errol |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 13, 2012 18:27:44 GMT 12
Brilliant! Many thanks Errol, Anne and David.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 11, 2014 0:11:31 GMT 12
Just a note, I have tonight had it completely confirmed that the signature is indeed that of Lloyd Parry, confirmed to me by his daughter, Margaret.
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