Hi, looking for info about my Grandfather, Edward Harold Craigie Graham, he served in the Fleet Air Arm according to some of the info I have. He was posted to HMS Daedalus (lee-on-solent) sometime in 1942. Also heard he was at HMS Jackdaw (Crail, Scotland) I have a couple of photos potentially from one of these places. Edward shipped out from NZ on the 31 Aug 1941 on SS Rimutaka. Cant find any shipping details for this troopship. The photo of large group with plane (swordfish?) grandad is 2nd row from bottom 2nd in - possibly taken @ HMS Jackdaw? small group shot, Edward is front row far left. not sure where this was taken. Edward HC Graham on transport, standing at left. any help would be much appreciated, he has been hard to track down.
Hi Andy, I am sorry I have no additional information for you on your grandfather. However I am interested in the large group photo in front of the Swordfish. My father, a DUTCH pilot from the MLD in the FAA, was in Crail for training purposes with the Swordfish. Maybe my father was in the picture. Do you know when this picture was taken? And do you have a better resolution picture? Thanks, Peter
Movements of SS Rimutaka - Arnold Hague Ports database There are 2 family trees on Ancestry that include his details : Edward Harold Craigie Graham Birth: 09/12/1913 (9 Dec 1913) - Gore, New Zealand Death: 31/5/1978 (31 May 1978) - Otago, New Zealand Marriage: 29 May 1953 - Dunedin, New Zealand TD
The large group of men in white are posing in front of a Fairey Albacore, the engine cowl looked a little too smooth to be a Swordfish. And if you look at the diagrams on this link: The Fairey Swordfish, Albacore, & Barracuda You will see that the Swordfish had two sets of bracing struts on each wing, the Albacore just one each.
Have you not obtained his RNZN service record from the NZDF - Personnel Records and Medals at NZDF Archives Looking at the Royal Navy Lists scanned on ancestry.com, he appears listed posted as follows: No mention in the lists before 1944, so he may only have been commissioned as an officer in late 1943 ? 1944 Feb Vol I - Listed with HMS Goshawk, and perhaps on the staff of that station as opposed to the units posted there. tho in Vol II of the same month he appears listed against HMS Condor. 1945 Jan Vol I - Listed as serving at HMS Cook Note: this thread explains what Cook was, basically a admin depot or posting. HMS Cook 1945 1945 Oct Vol III - HMS Bambara, 733 Squadron - Note: 733 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm, Fleet Requirement Unit at Royal Naval Air Station Trincomolee, Ceylon, 1945