|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V Hodgkinson | Wg. Cdr. V. Hodgkinson DFC, MID, MRAeS Joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1937 (Service no 463). He was posted to No. 10 Sqdn. RAAF in the UK in January 1940 flying Sunderlands from Pembroke Dock and went on to serve until 1942 flying operations in the Atlantic and Mediterranean from bases in Pembroke Dock, Oban, Plymouth, Gibraltar and Alexandria (Egypt). In 1942 he was posted back to No. 20 Sqdn. in Australia flying Catalinas from Cairns on bombing raids over Japanese bases and anti-shipping patrols throughout the Solomon Islands and north of New Guinea . He went on to complete 44 operations and commanded this squadron until 1943 before becoming Chief Flying Instructor, Catalinas 3 OTU Rathmines. Vic later formed and commanded No. 40 Sqdn. RAAF Sunderlands, Port Moresby, New Guinea until 1945. He retired from the RAAF in 1946 to join BOAC, Hythe, flying their civil Sunderland conversions - Hythes, Sandringhams and Solents. Vic transferred to landplanes in 1950 flying Canadair Argonauts, Bristol Britannias, DH Comet 4s, 707-436s and 336s. Vic retired in 1971 having amassed 19,300 hours, including some 4,300 hours on Flying Boats. In his retirement Vic is currently restoring and maintaining a Sandringham Flying Boat at the Southampton Hall of Aviation. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Text for the above items : |
Touchdown by Ivan Berryman. A Short Sunderland Mk111 of 422 Squadron alights on to a moderate sea at Castle Archdale in 1944. |
Fat Alberts Day Off by Ivan Berryman. Ground crew performing routine maintenance on a Sunderland on the slipway at Pembroke. |
War in the Atlantic by Stan Stokes. During WW I Germany made very effective use of its U-boat fleet in a campaign which almost resulted in Englands defeat. As a result, the Versailles Treaty prohibited Germany from possessing submarines. By the late 1920s Germany had circumvented these restrictions and by the time WW II began, they had several dozen U-boats in service. The period between July of 1940 and December of 1941 was known as the fat years for the U-boat fleet. During this period, aided by the use of French Atlantic ports, and the effective use of wolfpack hunting techniques, German U-boats wreaked havoc on convoys in the Atlantic. By the spring of 1941 the Nazi U-boat fleet numbered 120, and later in the war would exceed 350 in number. The tide began to turn in favor of the Allies in late 1941 when the Royal Navy acquired fifty old destroyers from the U.S., and began an effective campaign against German weather and supply surface ships which supported the undersea hunters. The RAF was also involved, and the Short Sunderland flying boat played an important role in stemming the tide. The Short Brothers acquired one of the first licenses to built Wright biplanes, and eventually began building their own designs, including a number of dirigibles and torpedo planes during WW I. After the war they developed the first British all metal aircraft, the Silver Streak. The company is probably best known for a series of commercial flying boats, the pinnacle of which was their Empire Series of 4-engine, high wing monoplanes which were capable of cruising speeds of 200-MPH. The Short Sunderland was developed in the 1930s for the British Air Ministry as a long-range, all purpose flying boat. It was a large aircraft for its time with a wingspan of 112 feet. More than 700 of these aircraft were produced. During WW II the Sunderland was utilized in the anti-U-Boat role. With its armament upgraded the aircraft earned the nick-name the Flying Porcupine from U-boat crews. When America entered the war, the U-boat command expanded its hunting zone all the way to the East Coast of the United States. For a period the submariners experienced another period of happy times, and in November of 1942 almost 750,000 gross tons of shipping was lost. With production of averaging five new U-boats per week, for a time it appeared that victory in the Atlantic might be obtainable for the Germans. Eventually, the U-boat war was won by the Allies through the use of effective radar technology, the use of the Leigh Light (a powerful airborne searchlight), development of forward firing depth charges, and the use of special techniques to counter the U-boat threat. The U-boats also suffered from a general lack of coordination between its command and that of the Luftwaffe. In May of 1943 a total of 41 U-boats were lost, and by early 1944 more U-boats were being destroyed than Allied merchant ships were being sunk. The men who served in the U-boat command during WW II had the most hazardous of all positions in the War with close to a 75% casualty rate by wars end. |
Guardian of the Convoy by Nicolas Trudgian. A limited edition print issued in part to raise funds for The Maritime Air Trust project 'Constant Endeavour'. A commemorative tribute to be erected in Westminster Abbey to all who served in RAF Coastal Command and their successors, together with the overseas squadrons and those from the Commonwealth and Allied Air Forces. |
Clipped Signature - Vic Hodgkinson. Flew Sunderlands from Pembroke Dock from 1940 until 1942 then returned to Australia flying Catalinas with No.20 Sqn, completing 44 ops. Retired from the RAAF in 1946 and joined BOAC, retiring in 1971 having flown nearly 20,000 hours. |
Tireless Vigilance by Stephen Brown. With grace and majesty of mighty battleships, a pair of Short Sutherlands sweep out towards the dangers of the North Atlantic. With a 12-hour mission ahead of them the skill and dedication of the crews would once again play a crucial role in protecting vital supply lines from the menace of German U-boats. |
|
Contact Details |
|
Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
|
|
|
