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Post by errolmartyn on Sept 21, 2012 12:01:20 GMT 12
George William Edward Clancey was born in New Zealand on 29 August 1910. He gained his ground engineer's licence (No. 119) in New Zealand on 6 July 1935. In WWII he served with the RNZAF as NZ40464 in the trade of Fitter IIE. He survived the war, including a posting to 488 Sqn in Singapore 1941-1942. He died on 20 September 1982.
Ian Mackersey in his 1956 book Into the Silk wrote that the Caterpillar Club in 1931 ‘enrolled its first New Zealander, Mr G. W. E. Clancey who baled out near Ngaruawahia in the North Island. “My home-made plane caught fire recently owing to a fractured petrol line,” he wrote. “After emptying the fire extinguisher without effect, I hopped out - still clutching the extinguisher!”’ on January 9, 1931
I've always been puzzled by this bale-out story and have never found any reference to back up the it up. I tried contacting the Caterpillar Club some years ago but never got a reply, probably because they have become super-sensitive to privacy issues (or just plain lazy?). Even Ian Mackersey himself can't get anything out of the club now, even though he had open access way back in the '50s.
I've never come across a contemporaneous mention of the homebuilt aircraft GWEC claims to have baled out of (though if it existed it would have been unregistered and thus not the sort of thing its owner would have wished to draw to the attention of the authorities).
Strangely coincidental, at about the same time the Clancy (note spelling) Skybaby made its first flights at Mascot aerodrome, NSW, on 15 February 1931. According to Parnell and Boughton's magnum opus Flypast - a record of aviation in Australia it was 'designed and built in ten months at Rosebery NSW by Alan R. and William G. (Bill) Clancy for about £100.'
Anyone able to throw some light on Mr Clancey’s home-built machine and his 1931 bale-out from it?
Errol
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Post by Peter Lewis on Sept 22, 2012 22:39:15 GMT 12
I have also heard this story over the years, and have never found any hard evidence to back it up.
It does seem strange that a private owner flying what was presumably a low-powered homebuilt aircraft would have carried both a fire extinguisher and a parachute.
These items would have been, at that time, both fairly expensive and heavy. Given that Clancey does not appear to have been a wealthy young man and was not apparently connected to either the military or an aero club where he could have 'borrowed' these items, how would he have acquired them?
I wonder what collaborative evidence the Caterpillar Club required, at that time, to substantiate a claim of this sort.
So many unanswered questions.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 22, 2012 23:03:35 GMT 12
The Caterpillar Club of New Zealand no longer exists these days, and their records seem to have been broken up (I was given some by the last secretary, but nothing from pre-WWII).
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Post by errolmartyn on Sept 25, 2012 20:59:45 GMT 12
Further to my initial post about Clancey.
If Clancey did make an emergency bale out from an aircraft in New Zealand that would indeed make him the first to do so in this country, thereby qualifying him for Caterpillar Club membership.
I have since learned, however, that he was not the very first New Zealand member of the Caterpillar Club. That honour appears to lie with Leslie Clive Bennett who was obliged to bale out of a Siskin of No 1 Sqn, RAF, on 16 August 1928.
This was brought to my attention by Paul McMillan of England who has been working on British Commonwealth emergency bale outs during the interwar years. Paul kindly supplied the following report:
Nottingham Evening Post
Fri 17 Aug 1928
THRILLING PARACHUTE JUMP SAVES PILOT
Only a few hours before the war ended one the single-seater Siskin defending planes crashed in flames from a great height over Richmond. Flying Officer Leslie C. Bennett, of No. 1 Fighter Squadron, which was operating from Northolt Aerodrome, leaped from the falling machine and made a thrilling parachute descent on to a house roof at Beaumont Avenue in Kew. He was unhurt, but the plane, which crashed on to the towing path at Richmond, was reduced to ashes.
Flying-Officer Leslie C. Bennett, of Northolt Aerodrome, made a sensational leap from a burning planeat Kew during the final stage, but suffered no ill-effects. On inquiry this morning a reporter was informed that the airman was quite fit and well, and was not showing the slightest sign of strain as the result of his parachute descent. Crowds of people saw the plane, Siskin fighter belonging to No. 1 Squadron, burst into flames, and they watched breathlessly as Flying-Officer Bennett jumped and made a successful landing by parachute on the roof of a house.
War = London Air Manoeuvres
--------------------------------------
The event was reported in the Evening Post of 18 August 1928, Bennett's name being mentioned but not the fact that he was a New Zealander.
As a wing commander and CO of 21 Sqn, RAF, Ngaroto-born Bennett was killed early in the war, when his Blenheim bomber was shot down on 9 July 1940.
Errol
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Post by Peter Lewis on May 11, 2013 11:10:13 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 11, 2013 12:00:52 GMT 12
I wonder if Colin Tapley's RAF parachute descent in which he was injured was an emergency escape situation, and also what date it was.
Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 175, 26 July 1934, Page 8
NEW ZEALANDERS IN FILM
CIVICS "SEARCH FOR BEAUTY."
The picture that will bring the Australian and New Zealand winners of the international "Search For Beauty" contest, before the pietur-e loving public of Auckland, "The Search For Beauty" will commence a season at the Civic Theatre to-morrow. The Australian winners, Brian Norman afcd Gwen Munro, are seen together with the New Zealanders, Colin Tapley and Joyce Nielsen, in spe'cial sequences. Featured in the cast are the 30 British and American winners and duster" Crabbe, Robert Armstrong, Ida Lupino, James Gleason and Roscoe Karns.
"The Search For Beauty," which was lavishly produced, concerns the adventures of two fun-making "crooks" who endeavour to introduce a "back-to-nature" movement at-a luxury health farm, but find it most unhealthy. As a result o* his performance in this production, the New Zealander Colin Tapley has been signed to avfong-term contract in Hollywood. He has since been given roles in such pictures as "The Scarlet Empress," "Come On Marines," "Murder At the Vanities," "You're Telling Me," "Double Door," and "Bolero."
Colin Tapley, who is aged 24, was born in Dunedin, and educated at Christ's College, Christchurch. He played football considerably, and shone at athletics, once running second in the Dominion hurdles championships. He had also taken several amateur singing roles in Gilbert and Sullivan shows as his first taste of the stage. His father, a late Mayor of Dunedin, was a steamship owner, and while on a world tour met Admiral Byrd in New York, as the latter was preparing to leave for his first expedition to the South Pole. The Tapley firm supplied ships from the base in Dunedin. Upon Byrd's return he presented young Colin at the 'White House. He next joined the Royal Air Force, but a parachute landing resulted in injuries which enforced his retirement. He returned to New Zealand and entered the "Search For Beauty" contest.
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Post by errolmartyn on May 11, 2013 16:40:10 GMT 12
Courtesy of research by Paul McMillan in the UK, Tapley's jump was on 11 June 1931 while he was serving with 2FTS, Digby. Aircraft unidentified but possibly an Armstrong Whitworth Atlas. He was made a member of the Caterpillar Club, so the jump must have been an emergency one.
There was a six-page account of Colin Edward Livingstone tapley's career published in the Aug-Sep 2001 issue of New Zealand Memories magazine. There is a passing reference to the jump therein; no date but states that he 'had resigned his [RAF] commission after a parachute jump resulted in concussion.'
Interestingly, there were just two Tapley's serving in the wartime RNZAF, both of whom would appear to be related to Colin Tapley:
NZ41961 Brian Mark Livingstone Tapley (pilot, attached to RAF)
NZ1617 John Burt Livingstone Tapley (ASD Branch)
Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 11, 2013 17:45:28 GMT 12
Interesting, it makes me wonder if they were all brothers.
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Post by paulmcmillan on Apr 15, 2014 0:10:43 GMT 12
Just a quick update to this I believe I have discovered the root cause of Tapley's crash and aeroplane type (Atlas): though not the serial
AIR 10-1481 Report on Flying Accidents during Jan.-June 1931 Page 3: "one when flying an Atlas made a heavy landing and on taking off again was unable to control his aeroplane" this was one of 3 parachute incidents in first half of 1931 to ab-initio students I can confirm details of other two matching known incidents so this has to be Tapley incident
Furthermore on page 11 on a chronlogocial list it is down as "Atlas Pilot Lost Control" as this dovetails two known incidents on June 5th 1931 (Wapiti in Iraq) and Fairey II on June 13 in Essex then it confirms type as Atlas
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Post by watchmanz on Mar 28, 2015 17:07:02 GMT 12
Wow! Thanks for the information. George Clancey was my grandfather! I have been trying to find information on him when I came across this forum post. Thank you so much, this knowledge has helped me understand the life of my "Grandpop" a bit more.
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Post by errolmartyn on Mar 28, 2015 19:10:51 GMT 12
Wow! Thanks for the information. George Clancey was my grandfather! I have been trying to find information on him when I came across this forum post. Thank you so much, this knowledge has helped me understand the life of my "Grandpop" a bit more. George Clancey enlisted in the RNZAF as A40464 (NZ40464 from c. 21 Aug 40) at Levin as a flight mechanic on 26 Jan 40. He was one of the 99 air and ground crew of 488 Sqn who left Wellington on the 'Tasman' for Singapore on 11 Sep 41, by which time he had become a Fitter IIE. He returned to New Zealand about 31 Mar 42. Prior to the war he gained his Ground Engineer's Licence (No. 119), on 6 Jul 35. If you wish to find out more about your grandfather's RNZAF service you could request a free copy of the papers that survive on his service record. See here for more info: www.nzdf.mil.nz/personnel-records/nzdf-archives/Errol |
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Post by fwx on Mar 29, 2015 13:07:55 GMT 12
"THRILLING PARACHUTE JUMP SAVES PILOT" I think that the word "thrilling" must have had a slightly different meaning in the '30's!:  - from my Dad's "The Picture Book Of Aeroplanes", ca. 1932. |
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Post by watchmanz on Mar 29, 2015 22:42:18 GMT 12
Thank you so much Errol, I really do appreciate the additional information. I will aspply for his service records so I have it available for the family. Thanks for your help.
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