Irish (Eire) Pilots

Irish Free Press

ATAM

Father: Samuel Reid Armstrong (d. 1936), Mother: Charlotte Matilda [Sheircliffe]

Ed. Diocesan School, Dublin

prev. RAF Sgt Pilot 1919-31, but "it was not until the last four years of his service that he became a pilot."

"Isle of Man Airways pilot before the war and later Officer Commanding the Belfast Ferry Pool; one of the best-known characters in the ATA - and in many a corner of his native Ireland." - BG

"It was the glamour of the first Atlantic flight by Alcock and Brown in 1919 which overcome his father's objections to Paddy joining the Royal Air Force as a pilot. This portion of his career lasted to 1931, taking him to Egypt, Iraq, India, 6:lrmo and South Africa. In 1931 he obtained his commercial flying licence arid joined lona National Airways in his native Ireland.

Captain Armstrong's next venture was on air service of his own which performed the essential function for the Irish —of flying evening newspapers with the racing results from Dublin to Then came a spell with West Coast Air Services until he joined Aer Lingus in 1936, piloting that company's very first flight, five passengers from Dublin to Bristol in a de Havilland Dragon." - Birmingham Weekly Post

m. 1938 in Kensington, London, Vera Alice [Long]

Address in 1940: 31 Upper Bagot St., Dublin

 Postings: 3FPP, 1FPP, 6FPP, 8FPP (As CO), 4FPP, 3FPP

Suspended without pay for a month on 3 Aug 1941, for 'neglect of flying duty"

4 accidents, 2 his fault:

31 Jan 1940, an incident involving Hempden AD746

-  1 Jan 1941, Commended for incident involving Manchester L7292

- 21 Mar 1941, an incident in Wellington W2749 caused by the the aerodrome being in an unserviceable state

- 8 Mar 1941, the emergency parachute exit of his Stirling N6011 was accidentally opened by the Air Gunner after landing

- 19 Aug 1941, forced landing near Jurby, IoM, after the starboard engine failed in his Blenheim V5374. See the account by James O'Halloran (who, along with John Milne Greaves and Peter Twiss, was injured)

- 22 Jan 1944, whilst taxying 'without due care', the starboard propeller of his Wellington X HE755 struck a petrol bowser.

 "I am very pleased with the way in which Cmdr Armstrong has always run this remote and difficult Pool (8FPP, Belfast).  - MWS Boucher

   1957

" When he cut the cake at the Aer Lingus 21st birthday party at Elmdon last week it was said of Captain Oliver Eric Armstrong that few men have done more for aviation in Britain. He hos done it quietly and unostentatiously, but the facts prove the contention - 15,000 hours, or nearly two years of his life, spent in the air piloting more than 100 different types of aircraft, while his log book during and following the Second World War shows daily flights to destinaions all over Europe, with a journey to South Africa by way of variety.

"Paddy" Armstrong is now mainly chairborne, as commercial manager of Don Everall (Aviation) Ltd., but as the hum of aircraft penetrates his office at Elmdon Airport what memories it wings of life in the clouds.

After the war he was with various air services at Bristol before corning to Don Everall (Aviation) Ltd. in Birmingham for whom together with charter flights and services to the Isle of Wight, Jersey, Palma and Perpignan, Captain Armstrong has done as many as 40 short pleasure flips in a day. Now, from his desk, he remains in touch with the flights he once piloted and with such unexpected cargoes as pigs from Glasgow to Paris, and corpses from Birmingham to Ireland. Still aviation is Captain Armstrong's life for, asked about his other interests, he will reply, " If you fly, all your time is involved." " -  Birmingham Weekly Post

d. 26 Dec 1959 - Birmingham

"OBITUARY Capt. Oliver Eric Armstrong

Capt. Oliver Eric ("Paddy") Armstrong, one of the best-known aviators in the Midlands, died on Boxing Day in a Birmingham hospital. He was 58. 

As soon as he was out of uniform he joined lona National Airways in Ireland as a pilot, and then started an airline of his own. BAN: newspapers from Dublin to Galway. After a period with West Coast Air Services he joined Aer Lingua in 1939.

When the Second World War broke out, Captain Armstrong, being too old for the RA.F.. joined the Air Transport Auxiliary. " Paddy* and his men at Belfast ferried aircraft in all kinds of weather. He flew nearly 100 different types.

After the war he returned to civil aviation, flying for Morton Air Services and Cambrian Airways. He came to Birmingham to fly for Don Everall (Aviation), Ltd., and piloted charter flights and scheduled services to such places as the Isle of Wight, Jersey, Palma and Perpignan. He also took many Midlanders for "joy flights" round Elmdon Airport. Later he was appointed commercial manager of Don Everall at Elmdon, and left the airline early in 1968.

He leaves a daughter. Patricia. aged 11. The funeral will be at Yardley Cemetery on Thursday." - Birmingham Daily Post, 28 Dec 1959

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

Naturalised American 1934

Address in 1940: 37-20 76th St, Jackson Heights, Long Island NY

ATA Contract Terminated - Inefficiency

"Herewith, I forward Flight Test Reports on the five American pilots, who reported on the 22 August. From these, you will see that only two are in the class of pilot we require.

Passed: Ortman, Phillips

Failed: Breen, McCory, Wickford"

d. 18 Dec 1969 - Denton, TX 

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

Father: Major Arthur Gundry Coombs MC [d. 1937]

prev. Pilot Officer, RAFVR & Civil Service. DPO Ministry of Mines, Reading 1937-40

4 May 1939, The Cornishman:

"FALSE PRETENCES AT MARAZION

Licensees duped by specious story.

How the licensees of the Coach and Horses Inn, Breage. and the Godolphin Hotel. Marazion, were duped by a specious story was revealed at Helston, on Thursday, when Arthur Wesley Coombs, a young man. of Limetree House, Castle Crescent, Reading, was charged with obtaining £5 and £6 by false pretences from Mr. Wilfred Hope, licensee of the Coach and Horses Inn. Breage.

There was a further charge against the accused of obtaining from Stanley Linscott Turner, of the Godolphin Hotel, Marazion, on January 27, £5 by means of a worthless cheque, with intent to defraud.

Mr. Eric Thomas, who prosecuted, stated that on January 18 the accused called the inn and told Mr. and Mrs. Hope he was the owner of an air circus of six 'planes flying between Reading and Edinburgh, and made other statements which led Mr. and Mrs. Hope to believe he was a person of a certain amount of substance. He stayed at the inn as a boarder from January 28 to February 2. January 23 he borrowed £5 from Mr. Hope, giving a cheque obtained from a customer, changing the name of the bank to that of Bank of Scotland. The following day Mr. Hope lent him £6, and the same procedure was followed. On January 31 the cheques were returned marked "No funds."

Accused pleaded "Guilty," and said he expected to have sufficient money to meet the cheques. As soon as he realised he was unable to clear them he sent Mr. Hope a payment on account. Mr. Thomas confirmed that Mr. Hope had received £4 from the accused. Accused asked the Bench to take the second charge into consideration when passing sentence. Accused pleaded ''Not guilty" to having obtained food and lodgings to the value of 19s. from Mrs. Hilda Hope, wife of the licensee, and the Bench dismissed the case. The Bench fined the accused a total of £12 including costs. The Chairman (Mr. 0. Rows), said the Bench had been influenced in their decision by the fact that accused was on the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and that he would be reporting for duty on May 1. They had strained a point in not depriving him of his liberty."

Address in 1940: 14, Castle Crescent, Reading (Mother, Ellie Maud [Wesley] Coombs)

Postings: 3FPP

Contract Terminated (Disciplinary Reasons)

Post-ATA, Arthur said he "worked for the Ministry of Aircraft Production, as a test pilot then as Chief Technical Officer, from 1939 until 1946". He then claimed to have been "General Manager of an aircraft company", and to have operated his own aircraft company from Croydon and Eastleigh.

From 1954 he was employed first as a wine salesman and then as a driving instructor.

In 1954, he was convicted of stealing a typewriter.

In 1955, he was sent to jail for 18 months for fraud and theft, again involving dishonoured cheques.

During his trial, "Mr Guy Willett submitted that the accused was a man who, having been extremely successful, could not believe his luck had changed."

d. 1979 - Portsmouth 

Ed. G.C.S. Dublin, National School Kildare St.

prev. RAFVR 16 Jan 1939 to 18 Sep 1940, Sergeant Pilot under training

prev. a 'Ladies Court Hairdresser' in Paris, then a technical assistant at Plessey in Ilford

m. Jun-42 Madeline Clare [Grigsby] in Maidenhead [d. 2009, Wallasey]

Address in 1941: Littlewick House, Littlewick Green, Maidenhead

Postings: 6FPP, 16FPP, 14FPP, 1FPP

Had 5 accidents in 1942, 4 of which were his fault; he managed to damage a Walrus [failed to control swing], a Hurricane [forgot to lower undercarriage], 2 Masters [hard landing collapsed undercarriage, and hit a post whilst taxying] and a Spitfire [undercarriage leg failed to lock down, that one was not his fault].

Contract Terminated in Apr-42 but re-instated; "This pilot has been given a second chance, a further course of training in the School... He has not given entire satisfaction. As a pilot he appears now to be average but his reports indicate that he requires driving."

"General flying poor, take-off and approaches below standard", but "A keen and willing pilot within his limited capabilities."

 Also damaged 2 more Spitfires in 1943, but neither was his fault.

d. Jul 1995 - Wallasey, Merseyside

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

M.---	Captain [Seconded from BOAC]	William Branston Houston
	b. 28 Mar 1909, Galway	1 Sep 1940 to 15 Jan 1942

"nephew of the late Sir Thomas Houston, the noted bacteriologist"

Ed. St. Andrew's College, Dublin, and the Methodist College, Belfast.

"He studied medicine for two years at Queen's University, Belfast, but decided to fly and In 1937 he joined Imperial Airways as a second officer"

"He began flying on European routes with the Heracles class and the Scylla and Syrinx. He later flew in Frobishers and Ensigns."

m. 1937 in Flintshire, Claire E [Beatty]

The BOAC pilots seconded to the ATA were the mainstay of the Advanced Flying Training Unit from September 1940, but they were all recalled to BOAC in January 1942.

Lettice Curtis says "with the going of the BOAC pilots the school was never the same again, and certainly a lot of fun and gaiety went out of the instructors' room when it passed into the hands of the generally older professional instructors."

"With pilots like BOAC Captains Griffiths, Derrington Turner, Weston Taggart, Ken Buxton and last but no means least Jim Weir, there was never a dull minute."

He returned to BOAC in 1941 and flew Liberators and Dakotas to North Africa. In 1944 he went to Cairo in charge of the Corporation's training unit there. After 1946 he occupied a number of operational posts and in 1951 he became manager of the Hermes and Yorks fleet.

  Belfast Telegraph, 1953

He was nominated as manager of the Britannia fleet in 1953, then Training Manager from 1957.

M.791	2nd Officer	William Charles Lyndon 'John' Humphrey
	b. 31 Jul 1917, Dublin	8 Jul 1942 to 20 Aug 1943

Father: William E Humphrey, mother Harriet V

Ed. Gresham School, Holt; Jesus College, Cambridge

prev.  RAF 1940-41 AC2 pilot under training; Sep 1941 Royal Navy

Address in 1942: Holton Hall, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin

d. 20 Aug 1943 in Spitfire VIII JF844. The aircraft dived out of cloud into the ground at Luckley Farm, nr. Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, and was destroyed. "The pilot was probably flying too near the cloud base and inadvertently entered a patch of low cloud, thereafter losing control of the aircraft."

Buried Whitechurch Cemetery, County Dublin, Ireland

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

M.772	First Officer	John Denis Hurley
	b. 3 May 1913, Dublin	17 Jul 1942 to 18 Dec 1943

 Father: Denis Hurley (a retired police superintendent), mother Elizabeth Mary [Madigan]

Ed. Christian Brothers School, Dublin

 prev. RAFVR 25 Nov 1940 - 19 Jan 1942 (LAC Cadet Pilot) at Reading

prev. exp. 93 hrs on BA Swallow, Tiger Moth, Magister

Address in 1942: 30 Clondarf Rd, Dublin / 75 Cambridge St, Victoria, London SW1

March 1942: "Last November I made an unsuccessful attempt to join your organisation as a pilot. If you will be good enough to read on I think I can now show some reason to suppose I could measure up to your medical exam now, if you give me another chance."

John explained that he had recently been rushed to Charing Cross Hospital for an operation on a perforated duodenal ulcer. "I had been a stomach sufferer, on and off, for many years... now that that is all over, I feel pretty good, and without the accompanying pain."

They did give him a second chance, (obviously), and he passed both the medical and the flying test.

Postings: 8FPP, 16FPP

"Good type of Irishman" (!)

"A steady and reliable pilot whose flying is methodical and his drill good. A good officer."

 2 accidents, one his fault:

- 24 Feb 1943, he taxied his Argus FK347 into a "small brick structure - "7ft x 5ft x 3ft" and damaged the wing

d. 18 Dec 1943, when ferrying Hampden AD736 from Aldergrove to Hawarden. He approached the landing at Hawarden "rather low" and the port engine failed. The aircraft, turned, rolled over and crashed inverted. "Insufficient evidence to determine responsibility."

 Buried Mt Jerome Cemetery, Harold's Cross, Dublin

In Loving Memory  John Denis Hurley  30 Clondarf Road  Died 18th December 1943

Also My dear Husband  Denis John Hurley

Died... June 1956  Aged 79 Years

Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

1939

educated at Beaumont, Windsor and Trinity College Dublin.

RAF Jan-Oct 1936

prev. exp. 270hrs

Address in 1940: Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin

Postings: 2FPP

"This officer, since he has been in this pool, has improved as a worker. He has a very poor idea of discipline and needs very careful handling. " He also had 4 accidents, all of which were deemed to be his fault.

He was demoted to 2nd Officer on 1 Sep 1941 for "Carelessness in regard to secret documents", and then his contract was terminated on the 18th.

d. 16 Jan 1989 - Dublin

 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):

W.164	3rd Officer	Annette Elizabeth Mahon
	b. 21 Oct 1918, Dublin	8 May-44 to Sep-45

 ‘Annette was posted to Prestwick as a Class II pilot to ferry mostly Fleet Air Arm aircraft to the Isles and the north of Scotland. She became known as “Queen of the Barracudas” – and a one woman PR campaign for the capabilities of this high-wing torpedo/dive bomber monoplane.’ RAF Museum

m. 18 Jan 1947, Dr Samuel 'Maurice' B Hill

 1993

Annette (3rd from left) at the unveiling of the ATA Memorial in Hamble-le-Rice, 2010

d. 7 Oct 2013 - Basingstoke

M.1136 *	3rd Officer	William Mockler
	b. 7 Feb 1923, Dublin	11 Jul 1944 to 15 Apr 1945

 Address in 1945: 47 Upper Rathmines, Dublin

He carried on as a ferry pilot after WWII; in July 1951 the 'Belfast Whig' reported:

"Sydenham plane crash: Belfast pilot injured

A naval aircraft, a Sturgeon target towing plane, manufactured by Short and Harland, Ltd., overshot the runway when It was coming In to land at Sydenham airport yesterday and crashed Into the sea. William Mockler (27). a ferry pilot. Holland Gardens, Belfast was the only person on board. He was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, where he was detained. He is stated to be seriously ill, suffering from head injurles. The plane, which was not seriously damaged, was a new one for delivery to the Naval authorities at Malta."

 ... and later a pilot for BEA. In 1968: "An airliner carrying 139 passengers made an emergency landing yesterday after an anonymous phone caller claimed that a bomb had been planted on board. Police received the call ten minutes after the plane, a BEA Vanguard, had taken off from Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh, for London. The news was immediately radioed to the captain, 45-year-old William Mockler, and he returned to Turnhouse.

Police, ambulancemen and the fire brigade stood by as passengers escaped by the plane's emergency chute. Army bomb disposal men, police and air line officials then began searching the plane and baggage. No bomb was found." Daily Mirror

Father: Capt. William Tower Townshend JP, a land agent, (d. 1943), Mother: Hon. Geraldine Emily [Curzon]

Two elder sisters: Blanche Hermoine and Marjorie (brother Alfred died in infancy)

The 1911 Census shows them living in Derry, Cork with a nurse, a nurserymaid, a lady's maid, a cook, a parlourmaid, a housemaid, and a kitchenmaid

Ed. The Cliff, Eastbourne (matriculation)

Address in 1939: Manor House, Battle, Sussex and Leixlip House, Co. Kildare, Eire

'Irish [Pilot's] Licence No. 91"

This notice appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 15 Nov 1939:

... but it seems that, for whatever reason, the marriage did not take place.

Address in 1942 - 46: Bodiam Manor, Sussex

 [Contract Terminated]

The London Gazette, 3 June 1949, reported that "TOWNSHEND, Eveline Mary Curzon (Spinster), Downash, Flimwell, near Hawkhurst, in the county of Kent. FARMER" was declared bankrupt - "Act of Bankruptcy proved in Creditor's Petition."

In January 1951, this was in The Cheshire Observer:

"Miss Townshend 'has a 'go' at The Theatre:

Leading four pure-bred Shetland ponies—drawing a glass coach with 32 lights--on to the stage of the Royalty Theatre, Chester, for a scene In the pantomime,  "Cinderella" may not be the most exciting entry into professional theatricals, but for Miss Eveline Townshend of Little Kernsdale. Rolvenden, Kent, it is another step in her motto of 'try anything once'.

Shooting, rowing,  sailing,  breaking, training and making hunters and steeplechasers, flying with the A.T.A. during the 1939-45 War, riding, and dairy farming—she has tried, successfully [sic] all these things. and was at a loose end when a Bristol business man advertised for a groom for the ponies. "It is really good fun" Miss Townshend said to a reporter this week.

"Will I go on to another theatre when this 'run' is completed? Perhaps, but I think a circus will be the next stop. I like to try anything once, you know." To see that her four eight-years-old charges—Janet, Bonnett V-Sign and Chagford (the only 'boy')—are sleek and gleaming ready for their twice daily appearance. Miss Townshend spends several hours each day carefully grooming their coats. She "puts them to bed" each night, and is there —accompanied by her nine years-old Alsatian. Simon — at seven o'clock each morning. 1 love all animals, especially horses, but then I suppose I should, I have been riding since I was two," she added. 

 She was fined £5 in 1956 for failing to keep one of her 3 Alsatians under proper control. She brought all 3 into the court with her...

 Address in 1976: Prior Park College, Bath, Somerset

 d. 9 Sep 1993 - Gedney, Spalding, Lincs, leaving £38,932

buried at Teampall Bán Graveyard, Unionhall, County Cork, Ireland

“SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF EVELINE MARY CURZON TOWNSHEND. DIED 9TH SEPT 1993 DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM TOWER TOWNSHEND OF MYROSS WOOD AND GERALDINE EMILY TOWNSHEND.”

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M.980	2nd Officer	Thomas Blair Willans
	b. 26 Jul 1903, Dublin	14 Jun 1943 to 12 Jan 1945

RAeC 1931

ATA 1943

Father: Richard Harte Keatinge Willans; mother, Georgina Blow or Blois [Goodman]

Ed. Wellington College, RMA Woolwich

 m. 1929 Edith Daphne [Traill], 2 children

 prev. From 1921, a rancher, and manager of the Traill's estancia in Argentina, which was adjacent to his. Lieutenant in 15th Field Brigade, Royal Artillery, Aug 1923 to Jun 26

prev. exp. 205 hrs in UK, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, in DH Moth, Fleet, Fairchild 22, Stinson Reliant, Rearwin, Focke-Wulf, Aeronca Super Chief.

Learnt to fly in 1931 at the London Aeroplane Club; for his ATA application, he gave Pauline Gower as one of his references because "she was getting her 'B' Licence in 1931 at Stag Lane at the same time... I hope she will remember me."

Address in 1943: Estancia la Esterlina, Carlos Pellegrini, Santa Fe, Argentina and c/o Mrs Traill, 13 Lansdowne Rd, Bedford

Travelled from Argentina (passage paid for by the UK) in Feb 1943 to join the RAF, but there was a typo on his application form; it said his date of birth was 1909. Once he arrived and the mistake was discovered, he was rejected by the RAF as 'Too Old', and offered to the ATA (who also thought he was a bit old, even for them).

He then had a flight test in an Avro Tutor with ATA on 19 May; "General Flying Good but take-off Very Bad and handling Very Rough Indeed"

"Wishes his papers expedited as he has very little money"

Postings: 5TFPP, 2FPP, 16FPP, 3FPP

"A careful reliable pilot"

Two accidents, neither his fault:

- 18 Dec 1944, ferrying Vengeance IV FD132 from Air Dispatch Cardiff to 48MU Hawarden, the port undercarriage leg failed to lock down and on landing he collided with a Lancaster, damaging the port wing and propeller.

d. 12 Jan 1945 in Dumfies and Galloway Hospital, from injuries received in Wellington IV PF896 which was in collision with RAF Anson LV219 at Dumfries Airfield. Both aircraft were attempting to land, the Anson in front. A red verey light was fired from the ground, and the Anson then climbed into the path of the Wellington. The five crew onboard the Anson were killed.

Buried Headington Cemetery, Oxford

"The Willans name remains strong in Argentina. Tom's son Richard Robin, was President of the Media Luna [polo] Club. Robin, a Cambridge man, took the Warwickshire Cup in England with the Buccaneers Team in 1969. Andy Willans took the gold cup Campana del Deserto" Polo in Argentina: A History

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1934

Contract Terminated

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