Tracing Capt Gerry Durrand, Atlantic Ferry pilot

[paulmcmillan]

Still remain unconvinced by all this ID - For instance


https://airandspace.si.edu/support/w...d-jerry-durand


But not sure it was him

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pi...6140&fhid=5773

[paulmcmillan]

"The Powerless One" says


There was also a Catalina flying - boat detailed for escort duties , flown by Captain Jerry Durand , a civilian pilot well known in New Zealand before the war and now one of the ferry aircrew personnel .

[robstitt]

Robin:

As noted in an earlier post, the Hadrian was named Voo-Doo rather than Voodoo.

There is a photo of the Hadrian on short finals at Prestwick with misspelled name in the caption at: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205210412

There's also another IWM-held, colour transparency image of the Hadrian with the hyphen showing in the name but with a misleading date in the title at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...943_TR1159.jpg

Robert

[robin bird]

Thanks everyone, yes Erroll that looks like him

[paulmcmillan]

The NZ Durrant that Errol ID was an Observer

[robstitt]

Robin:

Sent a request to DHH in Ottawa for an aircrew assignment card lookup for a New Zealander by the name of Gerry (likely Gerald) Durand, Durrand, Durrant or similar who delivered Catalina FP159 from Dorval to Prestwick over June 24 to July 1, 1943.

Peter Berry also notes Catalina FP159 as transiting Reykjavik to Prestwick on July 1, presumably the last leg of the journey, with the unexplained notation "Special".

Robert Stitt

[robin bird]

mistype by me. Thanks again everyone, still open for info

[robstitt]

Errol:

Looked up this ferry flight on the Library and Archives Canada web site and found these two photo captions re the Hadrian and Dakota crews (there are four images in total):

Crew of Douglas 'Dakota' aircraft FD900 of the R.A.F. which towed the Waco CG-4A 'Hadrian' glider FR579 'VooDoo' [sic] which made the first trans-Atlantic glider flight. (L-R): P/O R.H. Wormington, F/Ls W.S. Longhurst, C.W.H. Thompson.

Pilots of the Waco CG-4A 'Hadrian' glider FR579 'VooDoo' [sic] examining towrope used during the first trans-Atlantic glider flight. (L-R): S/Ls R.G. Seys, F.M. Gobeil.

Note that 'C.W.H. Thompson' is listed as a Dakota rather than a Hadrian crew member. I see you have Thomson.

Robert

[Errol Martyn]

Robert,

Thomson, no 'p' in his name' was indeed in the Dakota and not the glider.

Cheers,
Errol

[robstitt]

Robin,

Another source for info on the Catalina pilot, perhaps. The April 2014 edition of Aeroplane appears to contain an article on the delivery flight - am unable to read it without joining a service. A forum member may have a copy. It has two HA-1112 Buchons (Spanish Bf 109s) in formation on the cover.

Robert