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Post by shorty on Jul 3, 2016 21:31:10 GMT 12
I was doiing some investigation the other day and learnt the Tim's father was in the FAA and died when his Firebrand crashed into a mountain on a training flight in 1952. Now Tim was born in Remuera in 1947 but the family were living in Britain at the time of the accident and returned to NZ shortly after. That brings up the question of whether Shadbolt senior was a Kiwi or was he a Brit? That was one thing I couldn't track down. Anyone know? and where was the crash? (for some reason I thought it might be in Scotland)
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Post by The Red Baron on Jul 3, 2016 21:39:04 GMT 12
Portsmouth Evening News - Thursday 14 February 1952 "Pilot's Death "By Misadventure" A "MISADVENTURE" verdict was returned by a jury at the Chichester inquest yesterday on Lieut Donald Raymond Shadbolt (33) of The Crescent, Felpham, a pilot at RNAS Ford , who was killed in a plane crash at 800 feet high Littleton Down on Monday. Clouds were covering the top of the hill into which Lieut Shadbolt's aircraft, a Firebrand, crashed and sleet was falling at this time, said PC O. Gape. The hill's summit was 60 feet higher than the point of impact. Lieut-Commander D. Henderson who was inn charge of Lieut Shadbolt's squadron, said that his pilots were all on similar instrument-flying exercise at the time. A wartime RNVR officer, Lieut Shadbolt had 32 hours flying experience in the Firebrand. He had reported by radio at 1.46pm and was due to report again 20 minutes later. Very shortly after 2pm, however, the police reported the crash. Witnesses did not believe that Lieut Shadbolt had misjudged his height. "I think it is possible that he thought he was further to the South than he was and he came down through the cloud to find out his position. Lieut-Commander (Surgeon) Robert Moody said that Lieut Shadbolt suffered multiple injuries. Loooks like he was a Kiwi who flew in the FAA in WW2 and was called up again for the Korean War. new-zealanders-in-the-fleet-air-arm |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 3, 2016 21:53:57 GMT 12
He was a kiwi, educated in Auckland, and worked as a warehouse assistant before volunteering for FAA service in 1942. He served till the end of the war, and then like many kiwi ex-FAA pilots he was offered re-enlistment with a Short Service Commission in 1951 due to the Korean War and the Royal Navy's critical shortage of pilots. They offered positions to lots of wartime kiwi FAA pilots who'd seen combat, my late mate Bob Glading went back under the same scheme but only as an instructor.
Don Shadbolt and family flew to England on the 1st of November 1951.
He'd flown Swordfish from MAC Ships with No. 836 Squadron in WWII. Details from Flying Navy by David Allison.
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Post by errolmartyn on Jul 3, 2016 22:06:22 GMT 12
I was doiing some investigation the other day and learnt the Tim's father was in the FAA and died when his Firebrand crashed into a mountain on a training flight in 1952. Now Tim was born in Remuera in 1947 but the family were living in Britain at the time of the accident and returned to NZ shortly after. That brings up the question of whether Shadbolt senior was a Kiwi or was he a Brit? That was one thing I couldn't track down. Anyone know? and where was the crash? (for some reason I thought it might be in Scotland) The death circumstances and bio details of both Shabolts are recorded in my For Your Tomorrow trilogy. Always the best first place to check when it comes to New Zealanders who died while serving in military aviation! Errol |
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Post by shorty on Jul 4, 2016 9:20:06 GMT 12
Thanks for that folks.
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