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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2022 12:13:02 GMT 12
Hi all,
I've received a 1/48 model kit of the Blackburn Roc Mk.I. This is an aircraft I know precious little about and am wondering if anyone's aware of any Kiwis (especially Wanganui lads) who saw service with this type?
Many thanks in advance!
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Post by davidd on Jul 10, 2022 20:50:59 GMT 12
Wow, sounds like a tough one there, Zac!
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Post by phasselgren on Jul 11, 2022 3:13:25 GMT 12
Hi Zac,
A possible candidate is telegraphist/air gunner (TAG) A.J. “Ginger” Hayman. In the spring of 1940 he served with 803 Squadron which was equipped with both Blackburn Skua and Roc. According to Brian Cull, Flying Sailors at War, he was born in New Zealand. Maybe Erroll Martyn can confirm if this is correct.
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Post by errolmartyn on Jul 11, 2022 12:20:23 GMT 12
Hi Zac, A possible candidate is telegraphist/air gunner (TAG) A.J. “Ginger” Hayman. In the spring of 1940 he served with 803 Squadron which was equipped with both Blackburn Skua and Roc. According to Brian Cull, Flying Sailors at War, he was born in New Zealand. Maybe Erroll Martyn can confirm if this is correct. Seems unlikely. Not known to me and the only 'A J Hayman' born in New Zealand during 1900 - Jun 1922 was Albert James Hayman born 18 Oct 15, but he was a farmhand in Taranaki before and during the war. Perhaps Brian can provide us with the source of his information? Cheers, Errol |
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Post by angelsonefive on Jul 11, 2022 15:39:19 GMT 12
Another possibility is Petty Officer (A) Arthur Archibald s/n 3171 RNZN ( a pilot ) who was killed in the ferry flight of a Fairey Barracuda on 19/7/43. He may well have flown the Blackburn Roc at some stage. ASN link here : aviation-safety.net/wikibase/166310 |
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Post by errolmartyn on Jul 11, 2022 18:54:14 GMT 12
This was the only know New Zealander to die during the war while flying a Blackburn Roc:
Wed 1 Oct 1941
Fleet Air Arm - Scotland
Training exercise at Fort William
772 Squadron, FAA (Machrihanish, Argyllshire - HMS Landrail)
Roc L3073 - flew into a hill en route to Fort William in low visibility and burnt out at Airdo Farm, a mile NE of Cragnish Point, at the northern end of the Sound of Jura. Both crew died, the pilot being buried at Pennyfuir on the northern outskirts of Oban.
Pilot: Sub-Lt (A) John William Terence COOPER, RNZNVR - Age 21.
Coincidentally, 1 October 1941 was the date on which the New Zealand Naval Forces were officially reconstituted as the Royal New Zealand Navy. (Previously, naval airmen enlisting in New Zealand for service with the FAA joined as members of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, although it seems few of them, if any, knew of this at the time.) Cooper was therefore almost certainly the first member of the new RNZN to lose his life.
Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 11, 2022 20:28:27 GMT 12
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Post by errolmartyn on Jul 11, 2022 21:02:00 GMT 12
Unable to open the link. It is blocked. Errol |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 11, 2022 21:04:16 GMT 12
It opens for me, after it checks the browser first. Must be your computer?
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Post by phasselgren on Jul 11, 2022 23:12:04 GMT 12
Hi Zac, A possible candidate is telegraphist/air gunner (TAG) A.J. “Ginger” Hayman. In the spring of 1940 he served with 803 Squadron which was equipped with both Blackburn Skua and Roc. According to Brian Cull, Flying Sailors at War, he was born in New Zealand. Maybe Erroll Martyn can confirm if this is correct. Seems unlikely. Not known to me and the only 'A J Hayman' born in New Zealand during 1900 - Jun 1922 was Albert James Hayman born 18 Oct 15, but he was a farmhand in Taranaki before and during the war. Perhaps Brian can provide us with the source of his information? Cheers, Errol Thanks Errol, I will try to contact Brian. However it seems that New Zealand airman were flying with operational Skua/Roc squadrons during this period: From a speech by Vice-Admiral Sir Philip Vian in December 1945 rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/23372/pilots-record-second "Nearly 10 per cent, of the pilots who fought through the war in the Air Arm of the Royal Navy come from this country, and they were in it at the beginning as at the end, for there were New Zealand airmen in the successful dive-bomber attack on the German cruiser Koenigsberg in early 1940, the very first warship to have been sunk by dive-bombing, as, there were, also, your naval airmen in the last bombings of Japan," said Sir Philip. 16 crews from 800 and 803 Squadrons were involved in the attack on Köningsberg. Both these units had a mix of Skuas and Rocs in the beginning of the war. I do not know if any of these airmen were from New Zealand but list of the crews can be found on: dingeraviation.net/skuaroc/sinking_of_the_konigsberg.htmCheers Peter |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2022 17:43:12 GMT 12
Thank you folks, I was hoping this wouldn't be too big of an ask! I like the idea of building my model as a tribute to Cooper but remain open to other options.
Thank you!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2022 22:23:12 GMT 12
Unable to open the link. It is blocked. Were you able to access the page, Errol? |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2022 15:33:35 GMT 12
I only realised today I should probably have put this in the Navy subforum! Apologies!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 18, 2022 15:46:15 GMT 12
Moved now.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2022 16:20:32 GMT 12
Thank you Dave.
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