Mysterious F. Cable.

[Franek Grabowski]

Gents
I am trying to identify General Manager of Airspan Travel at Croydon in 1948, a certain F. Cable.
I assume an ex-RAF as others in the entity.
There was S/L Frederick John 'Jeep' Cable AFC (89581) but once he left the RAF in 1947 he became chief helicopter test pilot at A.F.E.E., so I doubt if he could do two jobs at the same time.
The other choice I have is Sec Off F B Cable 2073 WAAF, unfortunately no first name, but then I wonder if a woman could held such a position back in 1948?
This leaves possible NCO candidates.
Yet another option is, that there was a typing error, so another candidate is S/L Eric Donald CABLE (46464). Once again, it seems he had a continuous RAF career, so I doubt it was him.
Any ideas?
TIA
Franek

[wwrsimon]

Hello Franek

Not an answer to your question, bur Airspan seem to have something in common with Flyaway?

Consul G-AJLP (https://www.airliners.net/photo/Airs...Consul/1771575) was registered to Basil Robert William Betts, trading as Airpsan between February 1948 and January 1949, then owned by Flyaway Limited from January 1949 to August 1950.

Information from the CAA website: https://www.caa.co.uk/aircraft-regis...search-g-info/

Airspan made the newspapers in December 1948 when one of their Consuls suffered engine failure soon after leaving Shannon. The Consul returnd to Shannon, but left the runway and ended up mired in some mud. The pilot was Captain J. Hood, and the Radio Officer was Mr. J. Gosling, so another couple of names to chase up.

Regards

Simon

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

Franek knows all this, but to help put some meat on the bones, people should get hold of a copy of the following book:

On Wings of War My Life as a Pilot Adventurer.
Zumbach, Jean
London:Andre Deutsch Ltd.,1975.

Zumbach (yes, him of 303 Squadron), describes the gestation and operations of "Flyaway and Airspan Travel Ltd", in Part Three - The Antwerp Diamonds, pp.102-47. It involved diamonds, sterling currency scams, Swiss watches, penicillin and the Israelis/Irgun, anything that would turn a quid!

There is a short description of the formation/operations of "Flyaway and Airspan Travel", on pp.105-8.

No mention of our Mr. F. Cable.

A sordid lot.

Col.

[Franek Grabowski]

Well, I would rather suggest original French edition or one of the other translations. The English version was badly cut and shortened about 100 pages.
The story of Zumbach has a grain of truth in it, indeed, but either to failing memory or to avoid legal implications, it is all messed up, and a number of names are false. Such people like F. Cable are not mentioned at all, as is not the mentioned incident in Ireland.
All in all, I would recommend the story, but by no means I would say it had happened that way.
So, the question remains, who F Cable was?
Franek

[Franek Grabowski]

Further on, I have checked for F Cable on Fold3 - AiR 78.
There were following results.
Francis Harry Cable
Francis Henry Cable
Frank Charles Cable
Frank Eric Cable
Frederic Henry Cable
Frederick Charles Cable
Frederick Laurence Cable
Interestingly, no S/L Frederick John 'Jeep' Cable AFC (89581) nor Sec Off F B Cable 2073 WAAF.
Basically it still leads nowhere,

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

Not much help, but it does describe the corporate structure of AIRSPAN TRAVEL LTD.

AIRSPAN TRAVEL LTD. Directors: B. R. W. BETTS (Managing): O. B. BETTS Secretary: C. K. SMITH. Operations Manager: F. CABLE. Commercial Manager: A. R. SINCLAIR. Chief Pilot: J. H. G. HOOD. Foreign Representative (Dinard): A. L. STORY. Aircraft: 2 Consuls, 1 Proctor V. Head Office. 247 Regent Street, London. W.1. T. Ambassador 7100, Mayfair 3364, T.A. Airspanav London.

The Aeroplane Directory of British Aviation, 1949. p.84 (Snippet view).

Col.

[Franek Grabowski]

Hello
Thanks, out of those:
Directors: B. R. W. BETTS - Warrant Officer Basil Robert William Betts, 1385986, Typhoon pilot on No 247 Sqn;
(Managing): O. B. BETTS - Olive Barbara Betts, his wife, no DoD;
Secretary: C. K. SMITH - Flying Officer Cyril Kenneth Smith 136716, no DoB, no DoD, no details of service;
Operations Manager: F. CABLE - no details;
Commercial Manager: A. R. SINCLAIR - no details;
Chief Pilot: J. H. G. HOOD - Flight Lieutenant James Herbert Goodwin Hood, RAFVR 116710, no DoB, no DoD, no details of service;
Foreign Representative (Dinard): A. L. STORY - identified, not at hand, not ex-RAF.
There was also wireless operator J Gosling, possibly Jack Gosling, no details on him either.
Franek

[davew]

Some details for JHG Hood for you..
Born 27/04/1920 Thornton Heath Surrey
Married 1942 Doreen A Brandom
Died 22/08/2014 Suffolk

From Findmypast. Nothing for him in the military records there.

DaveW

[Franek Grabowski]

Dave, many thanks for that. Do records indicate any NoK? I cannot find his obituary, mention of any children nor information about his wife. I wonder if it would be possible to get his service record - there is a 25 years since death rule, unless NoK written permission.
Best wishes
Franek

[davew]

Franek

A further dip into the 1921 census plus FreeBMD reveals that Hood's parents were

James Oscar Hood, born 1896, Wivenhoe, Essex, occupation Clerk at Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, died 28/10/1941 Royal Infirmary, Manchester
Emma Jane Hood nee Todd , b 1896 Bow Essex, died Lewisham 1966.
Married in 1917 Croydon
Address in 1921 48 Gillet Road, Thorney Heath, Croydon, Surrey


The 1939 Register tells us that the family was then still at the above address, father still a civil servant, young James also a civil servant.
No other children. James O Hood's probate notice gives his home address at the time of his death as 66 Norbury Avenue, Thornton Heath.

I suspect that this info. is, disappointingly, not quite what you are looking for, but there may be siblings of mother and father whose descendants, if any, are still alive. Happy to delve into that for you if necessary.

DaveW