Carrick Blackie

[Dave Homewood]

This comes from the Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 187, 9 August 1941, Page 6, via Papers Past. I wonder what happened to Carrick in the next few months and years considerign four months later the US Navy was in the war.

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=AS19410809.2.155.56&srpos=59&e=01-09-1939--12-1945--10--51-byDA---0army+camp+racecourse--

[thomarse]

You do cotton-on to some interesting titbits Dave!

I'm keen to see where this goes, as I was with that thread about a Kiwi who appeared to have died whilst serving in the US military

[Dave Homewood]

A Google found that there was a Carrick Joseph Blackie's who ran a company from 1983 till being dissolved in 1997. It was a North Shore business called NORTH SHORE ACCOMODATION BUREAU LIMITED, so this may be the same man, having survived the war.
opencorporates.com/companies/nz/116975

[errolmartyn]

One and the same man. Electoral Roll for 1946 has Carrick Joseph Blackie at 8 Huia Street, occupation accountant. On North Shore roll until at least 1963. Reappears in 1981 (latest roll available via Ancestry.com), on East Coast Bays roll. He died on 30 Oct 1996 and is buried in North Shore Memorial Park Cemetery.

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Errol. A pity he's no longer with us, I was thinking it would be interesting to find out more about his time with the US Navy in WWII.

[davidd]

Was he actually serving aboard a US Navy destroyer, or a USA destroyer? As the US Navy is not mentioned, I would guess that he had been posted to any one of the fifty old (WW1) "four piper" flush-deck American destroyers handed over to the Royal Navy in 1940 in exchange for the US Navy getting access to six British-controlled ("colonial") bases. This famous deal came into effect on 2nd September 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain. Sorry to wreck an otherwise perfectly good story.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

Maybe, David.

Here's a bit more on Carrick Blackie from the Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 13, 16 January 1943.

Commissioned And Married



While 7000 Canadian servicemen have married Sussex girls, Carrick Blackie chose his bride from the neighbouring county of Hampshire. Recently awarded a commission in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (Imperial), he was married on December 17 to Miss Dora Henderson, of Southsea. Second son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Blackie, of 8, Huia Street, Devonport, Carrick was right wing of the North Shore XI. which won the 1938 senior Soccer championship. His brothers are: Frank, 1933 and 1937 N.Z. Soccer rep., and Alex., 1940-41 Auckland Brabin Cup left-arm slow bowler.

[errolmartyn]

Carrick Joseph Blackie appears as an officer of the RNZNVR listed on the Navy List from at least October 1942 (Sub-Lt dated 16 April 1942) through to the April 1946 edition, where he appears as a Lt.

Errol

[ianblackie]

Hi, My name is Ian Blackie, and Carrick Blackie is my uncle. I presently live in Vancouver, Canada. I was born in Hamilton, NZ. In 1968 I joined the NZ Police Dept, as a cadet. (but this is not about me.) He was an extraordinary man. His wife, he married in England, during the war. He had 2 children. the eldest daughter, Jillian, and a son Bruce, who is a lawyer in Queensland, Australia. Carrick Blackie, I have the privilege of knowing this absolute gentleman. He was a very intelligent, shy and quiet spoken man. He worked for Barfoot and Thompson's main building in Short Street, Auckland city. As A Constable stationed at Auckland central, I frequently visited him in his office on the second floor, as the head accountant for the company. He left the company to pursue a business as a developer. His first project was the development of the property on Dominion Rd, Takapuna, and there he ventured out on other projects. I had since resigned from the Police and traveled through Europe, but lived in England. There I joined the British Army, in the parachute regiment as an RMP. I emigrated to Canada in 1973, where I have lived ever since. I visited my uncle in Tory Bay, North Shore on numerious occasions, where my uncle Carrick enjoyed retirement. His wife Dora was an accomplished artist of some renound, who painted NZ native birds in such detail, her art actually looked alive. They took a trip back to Aunt Dora's native England, but on the way, in Turkey, he was diagnosed with a kidney issue and they returned to New Zealand. He died after a short illness. My aunt died a few years following. I have since lost touch with my cousins.
My Uncle Carrick, never talked to me about his service. I used to see the photographs of him in his naval uniform, but he was such a nice, and private individual, I never forced the issue, as to the details of his service. I'm afraid he is one of the distant memories, of a war in which so many young men sacrificed both their youth and in some cases, their sanity in what is becoming a faded memory of our present population that just take for granted the horrible cost that that conflict really resulted in. I keep in touch with a lot of my old colleges from the Police Dept. They have all retired, and as Cadets in 1968, we all attended the Whaine disaster in Wellington harbour. I was with a number of cadets on the East Boroune side of things, rushed to the scene in the 11th hour,where a lot of the survivors washed ashore and were rescued by a small number of police and civilian volunteers. They were real hero's. We arrived, just in time to experience the life and death trauma of just a few minutes. I saw in that time acts of real bravery, in which both police and civilians worked together. I have never seen any recognition printed or televised that has ever addressed the absolute togetherness of a group of strangers coming together in a self coordinated rescue of helpless men, woman and children in total peril. As we approached I could see heads bobbing in the water as the survivors were washed up. The effort by everyone was the best one could expect from so few police and civilians on the beach. The shore was rocky and the beach the survivors arrived on was very small and I was surprised by the amount of people we managed to rescue.
I don't know how much more I can add to this article, but if you wish to communicate with me you can reach me at [e-mail] or phone [phone]

[Dave Homewood]

Welcome Ian and thanks for your insight into your uncle.