billia
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 5
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Post by billia on Sept 23, 2012 1:46:25 GMT 12
I am looking for any information on Hugh Proctor Blundell who served in the NZRAF in the 1930s and 1940s. He was born in Hawkes Bay.
He was a Flight Officer in NZ, he came to England in 1935, joined RAF in 1936 as Pilot Officer for five years. He resigned his commission in 1937. He went back to NZ, he was court-martialled - I think in 1941 for low flying a Hawker Hind NZ1508.
I know he stayed in NZ, and he died in 1997.
I know it's a long shot, but I would love a photo of him. During his exploits in England, he fathered a child - Helen Patricia Blundell Dray, and this child (she's my mother) would love to see a picture of him before she pops her clogs (her words not mine!)
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Post by davidd on Sept 23, 2012 11:08:36 GMT 12
billia, H P Blundell was awarded a regular commission in the RNZAF on 4/10/38 (rank of P/O), for five years (confirmed 4/10/39, to expire 3/10/43), and served at the Wigram Flying Training School at Wigram as staff pilot from 4/10/38, then posted to Ohakea on 5/2/40, where he flew as staff pilot with the Air Observers School (which was reformed as No. 3 Flying Training School in Oct 1940). His "dismissal from the service" was to take effect from 19/2/41, but was subsequently altered to 11/3/41. My understanding is that he had the misfortune to choose a small boat on lake to "buzz" which just happened to be occupied at the time by the Chief of the Air Staff, out on a spot of recreational fishing in the peace and quiet of the country. Whether this is actually true or otherwise I could not say, but it does make a good story - it could have been any officer, Army, Air Force, or anybody who took exception to being "buzzed" (remember the reaction of Bob Jones when he was interrupted during the course of a fishing expedition just after a general election which was "spoiled" by his own political party, the one which saw Mr Muldoon out in the cold. I seem to recall that the TVNZ reporter was one Rob? Vaughan, who doubled his crime by arriving right next to Bob Jones in a helicopter, waving a microphone - that is bound to enrage any fisherman! To get back to your grandfather, he would have flown at Wigram on Vildebeests, Gordons, Avro 626s (and possibly twin-engined Oxfords), and at Ohakea on Vincents, Vildebeests, Oxfords and Hinds, possibly also may have flown as second pilot on DH86 aircraft. A staff pilot was not a qualified flying instructor, but would act as safety pilot, or ferry aircraft about, as well as taking up other personnel for training as air gunners, air observers (at Ohakea). The actual Court Martial took place at Ohakea on 10/2/41. Have you tried contacting Matthew O'Sullivan at the RNZAF Museum? He could run a check to see if your grandfather turns up on one of the official photographs taken at Wigram prewar (best bet) or perhaps later at Ohakea. No guarantees, but worth a try. David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 23, 2012 12:49:13 GMT 12
Rod Vaughn?
I'd love to think that was the Chief of Air Staff he buzzed, it makes the story so much better, haha.
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Post by errolmartyn on Sept 23, 2012 13:39:42 GMT 12
Hugh Proctor Blundell was born on 19 Jun 1911 (at?). The son of J L Blundell, he attended Wanganui Collegiate 1926-1929.
He obtained his ‘A’ licence with the Hawkes Bay & East Coast Aero Club on 19 Nov 1934, and, still with the club, was granted an ‘A Endorsed’ licence (enabling him to carry passengers but not for hire or reward) on 27 Feb 1935.
Making his own way to UK, he was accepted there for an RAF short service commission. This ran from 23 Mar 1936 to 11 Jun 1937.
His postings were: No. ? Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School (at?) 23 Mar 1936; RAF Depot, Uxbridge 18 May 1936; No. 11 Flying Training School, Wittering, 12 Jun 1936; RAF Depot, Uxbridge, 1 Jan 1937 as ‘non-effective (sick)’. At the FTS he flew Hart, Audax and Fury aircraft.
He resigned his commission on 11 Jun 1937 'following an accident' – this may have taken place while at Flying Training School and relate to his being ‘sick’ (but was it actually a flying accident?).
Blundell then departed from London on the Rangitata on 24 June and returned NZ, where he served with the RNZAF as per David’s post.
His court martial took place on the morning of Wednesday 19 Feb 1941, at Ohakea, where he faced four charges relating to ‘at or about Lake Taupo and the Township of Tokaanu on the 25th January 1941, flew [Hawker Hind NZ1508] at a height of less than 2,000 feet over the land contrary to the provisions of paragraph 717 (7) K.R. and A.C.I.’. He was found guilty on just one of the charges, one being withdrawn and on the others found not guilty. One wonders how many of the eight personnel who made up the court had also indulged in low flying during their careers: Blundell’s mistake, of course, was being caught!
At the time of his dismissal he had flown over 900 hours and was described as being 'a capable pilot', according to an April 1942 letter of introduction by Sqn Ldr W G Coull provided to the low-flyer (prior?) to his departure for the UK. Making his own way there again, he then joined the Air Transport Auxiliary and was still with the organisation in 1945, as on 8 Oct 45 he is noted in Sturtivant and Burrow’s Fleet Air Arm Aircraft of 1939-1945 as having taken off in Seafire LA488 on a delivery flight [from Anthorn?] with 'wheels only half retracted' (presume due u/s and not necessarily an error on his part, though no further detail is provided).
Blundell returned to New Zealand in 1946, sailing from London on 3 May on the Ruahine. The Wanganui Collegiate old boys’ register describes him as a Farmer, once of Kerikeri.
Henry Neil Blundell, DFC, who has an entry in Colin Hanson’s By Such Deeds - Honours and Awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923-1999, mentioned in correspondence with the book’s author that Hugh Proctor (known as ‘Pat’) was a second cousin of his. Henry describes Pat as ‘a bit of a wild one but an excellent pilot’ and repeats the Lake Taupo low-flying story, and says that he (Pat) once landed a service aircraft on a rugby ground in Glasgow’ (which may refer to the pre-war ‘accident’ or the 1945 Seafire incident?).
Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 23, 2012 13:52:30 GMT 12
A rugby ground sounds like a fairly short landing strip, if it was just one field of course.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 23, 2012 14:24:51 GMT 12
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billia
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 5
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Post by billia on Sept 23, 2012 20:56:09 GMT 12
Thank you for your replies, and for finding out all this stuff about him. What does it mean 'to buzz'? Is this a NZ expression for something naughty? ?? I will try the links suggested, and if you find out anything else please let me know. Thank you.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 23, 2012 21:20:18 GMT 12
To buzz something is an aviation term meaning to fly very low over the top of something or someone - it's usually a very illegal practice due to the perceived dangers involved.
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Post by errolmartyn on Sept 24, 2012 0:38:32 GMT 12
Billia,
Would your grandfather's log books survive? They could help fill out some of the details we are missing about his flying career.
Errol
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billia
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 5
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Post by billia on Sept 24, 2012 2:48:15 GMT 12
Hi Errol, I really don't have that much information on him. You see,we have only just, within the last few months, discovered that he was my grandfather. He was not named on my mother's birth certificate because she was born out of wedlock. So, it has been a long process of tracing him through family records; and my mother was effectively named after him - Helen Patricia Blundell Dray. My mother knew her fathers name and that he was in the Air Force. We think he visited her when she was about 9 - so possibly 1944 or 45 - but she didn't know it was him. She just remembers an Airman coming to the house in uniform. We have assumed its him because Southport is a small tiddly town and the likelihood of an airman coming to visit would have been remote. I did receive some info from the NZAir force - his medical records etc, so I will post some more details later. I also know he was the NZAir force boxing champion!!!!!
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billia
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 5
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Post by billia on Sept 24, 2012 2:59:06 GMT 12
Errol - the books that you mentioned. Do you know where I can get hold of a copy? I have done a quick search here in UK but can't find one anywhere??
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Post by davidd on Sept 24, 2012 9:29:40 GMT 12
Sorry about the duff information on the reason for Blundell's court martial; I have a list of the charges and the members of the Court (which are interesting in themselves), but the "buzzing" incident was, as I recall, told to me by a former member who was serving at Ohakea. Unfortunately, like many such cases, various misdemenours and incidents can get mixed up over the years (including those within my own mind!), and the published findings of the court do not go into any real detail, restricting itself to the charges, and whether guilty or not guilty of each charge. It is quite possible that a copy of the General Court Martial still survives on his personal file in Wellington. The announcement of the GCM was announced in Routine Orders on 10/2/41, to take place on the 19th, and findings were announced on 13th March, and date of dismissal on 20th March. Only the actual court documents will (hopefully) answer what really happened in Hind NZ1508. Incidentally I am certain that a photograph of this very aircraft has been published, perhaps on this very site. David D
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Post by errolmartyn on Sept 24, 2012 20:05:04 GMT 12
Errol - the books that you mentioned. Do you know where I can get hold of a copy? I have done a quick search here in UK but can't find one anywhere?? Billia, Suggest you email me at errol.martyn@xtra.co.nz letting me know which book or books that you are interested in. Errol
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Post by chinapilot on Sept 27, 2012 0:33:25 GMT 12
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Post by thomarse on Oct 4, 2012 11:29:05 GMT 12
Very interesting thread.
Wouldn't you think that, in wartime when trained pilots were at a premium, this incident alone would be insufficient to get you drummed out?
A fair bit about him available via Google. Anyone know anything about his post-war life?
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billia
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 5
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Post by billia on Oct 12, 2012 1:58:38 GMT 12
Just to let you know that today I received a copy of a group photograph of Hugh and his comrades from December 1938 at Wigram. This was sent to me from Matthew at the Air Force Museum in NZ. Thank you for letting me know about this. I haven't shown the photo to my mum yet but I'll let you know her reaction later. If anyone does find any info on him please let me know. Most of the stuff on google probably relates to the searches I have been doing on him.
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Post by reggie99 on Feb 12, 2013 13:43:13 GMT 12
Pat Blundell was a relative of mine. If you send me an email address I can try to get some more details from the family.
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Post by charlemi on Oct 16, 2020 16:17:30 GMT 12
Pat Blundell was a relative of mine. If you send me an email address I can try to get some more details from the family. @ reggie99 Hi. We also have just discovered that my mother is also a daughter to Hugh Proctor Blundell. Would love a photo to show her. Kindest regards.
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Post by McFly on Oct 16, 2020 18:16:45 GMT 12
Photo of H.P. Blundell from the Air Force Museum collection... Group. Pilots course No. 4, in front of Vildebeest NZ107. RNZAF Station Wigram. WgF63 L-R: Back; GD Yorke, CM Hill, CN Whittington, H. Keller, PW Rabone, P Trolove, CK Larney, AJ MacDonald. Front; HP Blundell, CWF Carey, Pilot Officer Dive, Flight Lieutenant Cohen, Pilot Officer Johnstone, KR Sutton, IC Patterson.HP Blundell (Crop)
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Post by McFly on Oct 16, 2020 18:24:07 GMT 12
And another...
Group. No. 7 pilots course, Flying Training School, RNZAF Station Wigram. MUS050657 L-R: Back; FH Denton, MEF Barnett, AGL Humphreys, HA Outram, CA Pownall, DH McArthur, ECJ Cameron, JS Shorthouse, MH MacFarlane, DM Rolph-Smith, CN Parker, RCE Scott, JH Arkwright. Front; LD Loasby, J Duigan, EV Best, RM McKay, Pilot Officer Blundell, Flying Officer Dive, Squadron Leader Calder, Flight Lieutenant Willis, Flying Officer Smith, Flying Officer McLean de Lange, JES Morton, CR Brabyn, PGH Newton.
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