Eric Griffiths and the Hamilton Bridge

[malkyc]

Looking for some information. 
I am researching the life of my partners Great Uncle, Eric Neville Griffiths.

There is a family story of him as a youngster flying under the Hamilton bridge. So far I have been unable to find any information about this event.
That may suggest that it didn't happen, especially as the idea may seem far fetched but, given everything else that I have learned about his life, it would be completely in character.

Any other information or photos of him would also be greatly appreciated as it would be good to verify the information I have so far from multiple sources.

Thanks! 

[McFly]

Some previous posts about Eric Griffiths below...

Aug 12, 2018 10:45:48 GMT 12 davidd said:

There was a fourth wartime airfield in the general Nadi area, known as Griffiths field, named in honour of RNZAF officer (and Spanish civil war participant) Eric Neville Griffiths. Griffiths was killed whilst on his second official flight in a P-39D Airacobra on 23 February 1942, whilst making a mock attack against an RNZAF Vincent of all things. He had managed to get himself appointed as the RNZAF's liaison officer to the 70th Pursuit Squadron, operator of the aircraft he was flying that fateful day. Griffiths field was located just east of Narewa field, but seems to have been closed down after perhaps a year or two of being completed, almost certainly because it had the shortest runways (by far) of all these fields, and also perhaps because it was separated from rest by a river, which can be seen squirming its way through the area. I think the western end of the E/W runway of Griffith field can just be seen in the wartime photograph, on a direct line with the major E/W runway of Narewa field in foreground. Narewa also had a third runway (NNW/SSE) added later. The fourth field (with just a single runway, also NNW/SSE) and located on taxiway connecting the two main fields in middle of the photograph was known as Martins field, with runway length comparable to both Nadi and Narewa.
David D

May 17, 2011 9:57:17 GMT 12 errolmartyn said:

Seems very unlikely that Griffiths ever achieved ace status in Spain.

See footnote to my entry here from my 'For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Three: Biographies & Appendices)'. I don't believe he was ever actually 'posted' to the USAAF, but rather acting only as a liason officer between them and the RNZAF:

GRIFFITHS, Flight Lieutenant Eric Neville.
NZ1182 (6913480 in British Army; no No. in Spain?); b Birmingham, War., England 9 Sep 13; to NZ mid-1914; Wgtn Coll; [student?]. Employed as Air Mechanic with Sqn Ldr M C (Mac) McGregor 1931 for 7 mths, Wairarapa & Ruahine Aero Club, 'A' Licence 29 Jun 32, to China as instr & ferry pilot 1932 to 1933 for 8 mths [flew 80 hrs there], Air Mechanic with Byrd's Antarctic Expedition Nov 33-Mar 34 [sailed 12 Dec], [to China again in 1934?], to UK 1935; British Army (1Bn Rifle Bde) 8 Aug 35-11 Feb 37 [awol from Apr 36], to Spain - secretly ferried [3?] a/c [as mechanic or pilot?] from England for (and joined) Spanish Republican Air Force Aug 36, 'International Squadron' (Nieuport Ni-D.52, Dewoitine D.372), ser wdd in air combat 26 Sep 36, last in Spain c.Apr 37; rtd to NZ 14 Jun 37, to USA late 37 [Hollywood & Douglas Aircraft Co?], rtd to NZ, 'B' Licence 7 Jun 38, Union Airways as Pilot Jun-c.Sep 38; [RNZAF Civil Reserve Pilot c.Sep 38?], to Hong Kong & China e.39, rtd to NZ, RNZAF Blenheim & Comm as Pilot [& Pilots Badge?] & Wgtn GR Sqn (Baffin) 16 Oct 39, AOS (Vincent/DH86) 19 Jan 40, 1 Aircraft Depôt (various a/c types) as test pilot Oct 40, to Pacific for Det Flt Nadi [redesignated 4 Sqn 8.10.41] (various a/c types) by 7 Nov 40 [& appointed as Liaison Officer to USAAF at Nadi 21 Feb 42-death], kaa 23 Feb 42 (in 70th Pursuit Sqn USAAF Airacobra). Suva Military Cemetery - 9.133, Fiji. Son of Percy & Nancy Griffiths (née Dorant), Wgtn; h of Frances Marie Griffiths (née Robinson, later Dwyer), Wgtn. Note: with Republican Air Force claimed 7 e/a dest and by own account credited with 4. See also Chapter 8 of Brian Bridgeman's self-published The Flyers (1989) for detailed account of Griffiths' intriguing and complicated career.

Errol

Jun 17, 2007 22:51:07 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

When I was talking to an RNZAF veteran Arthur Strother the other day, he mentioned an RNZAF pilot by the name of Griffiths who was based in Fiji, was killed there whilst flying a P-39 Airacobra.

He apparently crashed it through a bure (one of those Fijian thatched houses.)

Arthur said that Griffiths had also flown in the Spanish Civil War.

I have done dome looking into this and it appears that it must have been:
Flight Lieutenant Eric Neville Griffiths
Service Number 1182
Killed on the 23rd of February 1942, and buried in the Suva Military Cemeteray
www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2385176

Does anyone know more about his earlier career, and why he was in Fiji (ie which unit he was serving with when killed?)

Why was he flying the Airacobra? Which unit did the P-39 belong to, and what was the aircraft's serial, etc?

I'm sure some of this info is in Errol Martyn's 'For Your Tomorrow' books, which I don't have in front of me.

It would be interesting to find out if he was originally a kiwi (his parents are listed at CWGC as being in Wellington so probably) and how he got into the Spanish conflict. Also what side he was on. By his serial number he was also in the RNZAF prewar.

[Dave Homewood]

It's well known that Mad Mac McGregor flew under the bridge in Hamilton. Eric worked for Mac as his spare pilot. I wonder if he was onboard with Mac? Or if the story has been twisted in family circles?

[errolmartyn]

May 31, 2021 18:00:59 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

It's well known that Mad Mac McGregor flew under the bridge in Hamilton. Eric worked for Mac as his spare pilot. I wonder if he was onboard with Mac? Or if the story has been twisted in family circles?

Eric Griffiths did not pass his 'A' Licence test until 24 Jun 32 and was granted his Pilot's 'A' Licence 5 days later. He did obtain his commercial 'B' Licence until 1938. So if he were flying as Mac's spare pilot this would not have been in a passenger/joy riding role - for which a 'B' Licence would have been required.

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

No from memory he was mainly flying to position the aircraft around the country. And he did groundcrew work on the aircraft.i think I read he also sometimes stood in as pilot for the parachuting flights but not sure if that is a mistake or if they were sailing close to the wind with the regulations.

[malkyc]

Thanks everyone for the information, i really appreciate the help. I still have to do some more research into his time with Mad Mac so that may shed some light.

Since you seem to have an interest in him I think you may be interested in the details I have found so far.
It is fair to say that the more research I do, the more interesting the story becomes.

His father, Percy, was from Birmingham but had moved to Wellington about 1907 and married a Lower Hutt girl. After their first son was born they travelled back to England to visit Percy's relatives in 1913. Eric's mother was pregnant on the journey back and so he was born in Birmingham.
They returned to NZ in 1914 (WWI broke out as they were passing through the Suez Canal).
The family moved to Eastbourne around 1918/19 to avoid the Spanish Flu outbreak.
Eric went to school at Wellington College. However, having developed an interest in flying, he would skip out from school to take flying lessons at the Wairarapa Aero Club. As a result he failed his final year at school.
In 1931 he joined Mad Mac McGregor as a mechanic on his barnstorming tour. Another member of the group was Scotty Fraser who would do parachute jumps and Eric would occasionally fill in for him.
Eric achieved his 'A' license on 29/6/1932. Later the same year he travelled to China where he spent 8 months ferrying planes to various warlords and giving flying lessons in Moths and Avians.
He returned to NZ in 1933 where he was recruited by Admiral Byrd's 2nd Antarctic expedition as a mechanic and with the assembly of the expeditions Curtiss-Wright Condor. He sailed with Byrd on the SS Jacob Rupert in December 1933. During the trip, Griffiths was annoyed to discover the difference in treatment between the American and non-American crew, particularly the lack of winter clothing for the NZ'ers and that all they seemed to be wanted for was to attend to the dogs. Griffiths took his complaints to Byrd which resulted in him being locked in the brig and returned to NZ with the ship.
Back in NZ, in 1934 he unsuccessfully tried to raise funds to enter a Lockheed Vega into the London-Melbourne air race.
Instead, in 1935 he travelled to England and tried to join the RAF. However, because he had failed his last year of school, they rejected him.
At this time, Italy had invaded Abyssinia and Eric hatched a scheme to create an air force for Haile Selassie. He approached the Abyssinian Embassy with his plan and they agreed to fund him as long as he informed the Foreign Office. So, he immediately recruited 15 pilots and planned to purchase obsolete Bristol Fighters which they would fly to Africa. However, the plan fell apart when one of the pilots leaked the plan to the press and the Foreign Office found out before he had a chance to inform them (I have a copy of the letter he wrote them, it's fascinating). As a result, they blocked his efforts, saying it contravened the Arms Export Prohibition Order and it came to nothing.
So, down on his luck he joined the Rifle Brigade. However, he wasn't well suited to army life and it authority and so one night a RSM met with an accident and he disappeared. He was listed as AWOL until 1937 his father bought out his enlistment and he was discharged.
After this he joined Imperial Airways as ground crew and did occasional charter flights between London and Paris.
At this time the Spanish Civil War broke out. Eric picked up a contract to ferry 3 planes to Spain to the Republican forces. On the 3rd trip he was offered a mercenary contract as a fighter pilot for the Republic. He initially flew obsolete Nieuport Ni D-52's which were no match for the Heinkel He 51s and Fiat CR.32s they were up against.
He later received a Dewoitine D.372 which gave him more of a chance. He claimed to have shot down 7 enemy aircraft (2 bombers and 5 fighters) but due to the difficulty in verifying the kills and perhaps because of the money (he received £200 for each plane he shot down) he was only credited with 4.
On 26 September 1936 he was flying with his friend, South African Vincent Doherty, escorting a bomber over Toledo when they were jumped by Italian fighters. Doherty was shot down and killed and he took a bullet through his right shoulder but was able to fly back to base and land using his left hand.
Eric was treated in a hospital in Madrid and received £1,000 as compensation. I believe it was during his time recovering in Madrid that he met Eroll Flynn who had travelled to Spain at that time. As he recovered he spent time instructing other pilots and travelling to France and England in attempts to acquire more aircraft to ferry to Spain.
In 1937 he became engaged to his girlfriend back in NZ and suggested that she travel to France to get married. Her father would not let her so at this time he returned to NZ to get married arriving back in Auckland on the Monowai in June and marrying Fay Robinson 3 days later.
He didn't stay settled for long though and in late 1937 he and Fay travelled to California to meet up with Eroll Flynn in the hopes of working as a stunt pilot in a film about the Spanish Civil War. He and Flynn did travel to Mexico but the film didn't eventuate. His time wasn't wasted though as he had to learn to fly again with his ruined shoulder.
He then returned to NZ and in June 1938 achieved his 'B' license and joined Union Airways as a pilot.
Again this didn't last long and in 1939 he travelled to Hong Kong trying to get work with the Chinese who were fighting the Japanese. He became involved in a scheme for Chang Kai-shek where they intended to attack Japanese airfields so that pilots could race in and steal Japanese planes. The scheme started to fall apart and he fell out with the Chinese so he left and returned to NZ. On the outbreak of war and with Eric being on the Civil
Reserve, he was appointed to the Wellington General Reconnaissance Squadron of the RNZAF as Flying Officer and sent to Woodbourne. For 3 months he flew training missions and convoy escorts in Blackburn Baffins. In January 1940 he was posted as staff pilot to the Air Gunners school at Ohakea flying Vickers Vincents and DH.86's. By this time his skill had been noticed and in October he was assigned as a test pilot for newly assembled Hawker Hinds. This didn't last long as in November he was posted to Fiji with the No.4 General Reconnaissance Squadron. His first operational mission was intercepting and escorting troop ships from NZ flying DH.89 Rapides that had bomb racks fitted.
January 1941 he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant and spent the next months flying training missions and convoy escorts in Vickers Vincents and DH.86's. He was apparently quite the socialite and quite popular both with his fellow NZer's and the local population. Apparently he had a favourite game where he would grab an old Gypsy Moth and chase and burst weather balloons that the met section had just released. The junior officers used to enjoy saluting him as he was unable to return the salute with his ruined shoulder as he couldn't raise his arm that high. Instead he would bend over so that his head met his hand halfway.
In December 1941 he had been ordered to return to NZ but after Pearl Harbour he was instead kept in Fiji.
With news of the arrival of the Americans, Eric immediately requested that he be attached to the Americans due to his knowledge of the US and his combat experience in Spain.
The 70th Pursuit Squadron of the USAAF flying P-39's arrived in February 1942. Initially stationed at Nasouri they transferred to Nadi and finally to Nawera. On 21 February Eric was finally assigned as Liaison to the US Sqn. However, he had already been in close contact with the American officers and had taken a P-39 for a flight the previous day (one assumes that this must have been unauthorised).
Interestingly, several of the American pilots would later be involved in the mission that shot down Yamamoto's plane.
Then, on the 23rd he again took a P-39 up for a local flight. During the flight he intercepted a Vincent returning from a mission and couldn't resist the temptation to buzz it. However, most likely due to his unfamiliarity with the aircraft, in the process the aircraft entered a high speed stall at low altitude and subsequently a spin and crashed into a bure about half a mile north of Nadi. The official report states cause of spin unknown. However, one point to note is that realising a crash was inevitable Eric was able to cut both ignition switches before impact and prevent a fire on the ground.
He was buried the next day with full honours at Lautoka but later moved to the Military Cemetery at Suva (Row 9, No.133).

[Dave Homewood]

Malkyc, I have sent you an email.

[chinapilot]

Malkyc - definitely an interesting character like many in the diaspora of the interwar years looking for adventure, fame and fortune.

Errol Flynn travelled to Spain in 1937 with a Doctor friend and worked in a hospital with him for a short period so that is ,as you surmise, very likely where they met.
Flynn kept a diary of his time in Spain and this was auctioned about 20 years ago - don’t know if it has been published but it may have a reference to Eric.

I first read about Eric about 25 years ago when that quirky book ‘The Flyers’ was published which has quite a bit about him and also another NZer in China.

Having an interest in the SPW , due to a family member, I was surprised to hear that Flynn had gone there.

When Eric went to Hong Kong in 1939 it was a time of great intrigue. Chiang Kai-Shek was just one of the war lords around and all of them were trying to buy aircraft.

It sounds like the scheme to steal Japanese aircraft was one of the ideas bandied around the pub one evening but evaporated as as soon as they left to go home. It probably would have been a more ‘substantial’ business proposition that he gone up there for.

Mostly HK was used as a deal making venue with aircraft delivered elsewhere. 

[malkyc]

chinapilot - I had read about Flynn's diary but I think it ended up in a private collection and I haven't been able to find anywhere that any part of it has been published. I have read part of Flynn's autobiography 'My Wicked, Wicked Ways' relating to that period but couldn't find even a vague reference to Griffiths. It was interesting to note that a large part of why he went to Spain was to get away from his wife! Having said that, he seems to have harboured Socialist sympathies as he also appeared to support Castro in Cuba.

[malkyc]

May 31, 2021 18:00:59 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

It's well known that Mad Mac McGregor flew under the bridge in Hamilton. Eric worked for Mac as his spare pilot. I wonder if he was onboard with Mac? Or if the story has been twisted in family circles?

Dave, I have now got to the bottom of the Hamilton bridge story. The truth is, in fact, that the story is apocryphal and neither of them flew under the bridge. I managed to get my hands on a copy of "Mac's Memoirs" in which he recounts the story:

As it happened, on June 5th, 1921 he made his first post-war flight in NZ when he tested a newly imported Austin Whippet. With no aerodrome to take off from he flew from a paddock belonging to the Ruakura State Farm. During the test flight he flew over his parents home on the banks of the Waikato river and performed an aerobatics display for them. The unusual noise attracted local residents and in a short time several hundred spectators lined the river and nearby streets. He completed the display by making a low pass over the river leading many of the spectators to believe he had flown under the bridge which lead to the accepted belief that he did. Mac himself denied that he had done so, not because it would have been difficult to do, but because it had simply not occurred to him to do so.

Interestingly, on landing, he declared the aircraft unstable and underpowered and therefore unsafe!

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for clarifying that.

[malkyc]

I've been able to obtain some more information relating to Eric's death. It comes in the form of a statement made by Flight Lieutenant Ian Reid Salmond, Flight Commander No.4 Squadron, Nadi.
"On the 23rd February, 1942, at approximately 1540 hours, I left Nadi Aerodrome to ferry a Vincent aircraft to the dispersal field at Nadi. Shortly after I had climbed to about 2,000 ft, a P-39 passed directly underneath me, heading North-East. The P-39 passed me again when I was almost directly over the dispersal field. It then carried out several wide turns, subsequently diving away from me and pulling up into steep climbing turns. At the top of the third steep turn, the P-39 became inverted, falling off into what appeared to be an inverted spin. The pilot appeared to recover from this, and then go into a rather flattish spin. The aircraft crashed into a native village."

Cause of death listed as "Instantaneous death from 1. Laceration of the brain & 2. Multiple fractures and mutilation." Sounds horrific but I guess that's to be expected when the engine is behind you.

[Dave Homewood]

So sad.