Roderick Carr
Sir Roderick Carr | |
---|---|
Ministry of Civil Aviation |
Education and military career
Educated at a Feilding public school and
In 1919, Carr went to Russia to fight on the
On the 17th June, 1919, this officer flew a scout machine over the enemy aerodrome at Puchega, at an average height of only 50 feet, for thirty minutes. During this time he succeeded in setting fire to a Nieuport enemy machine, to a hangar which contained three aeroplanes (all of which were destroyed), drove all the personnel off the aerodrome, and killed some of the mechanics.
Between 28 November 1919 and 18 February 1920, Carr served as chief of the Lithuanian Air Force (Aviacijos dalis).[3]
In 1921, Carr was a member of Sir Ernest Shackleton's final Antarctic expedition. On his return, he was granted an RAF short service commission in the rank of flying officer.[2]
In 1927, Carr and Flight Lieutenant L.E.M. Gillman attempted a non-stop flight to India, in a specially modified Hawker Horsley aircraft carrying much extra fuel and taking off at a weight of over 14,000 pounds (6,400 kg). Carr and Gillman took off from RAF Cranwell on 20 May 1927, but ran out of fuel en route, ditching in the Persian Gulf near Bandar Abbas, Iran. Despite this they had covered a distance of 3,420 mi (5,500 km), which was sufficient to set a new world distance record, but which was beaten in turn within a few hours by Charles Lindbergh's solo Atlantic flight between New York and Paris in the Spirit of St. Louis, covering 3,590 mi (5,780 km).[4]
During the
His war services were recognised with the award of Commander of the
In retirement, he lived in Bampton, Oxfordshire.[1] He died at RAF Hospital Uxbridge.[1]
References
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/74578. Retrieved 24 February 2016. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ a b "Air Marshal Sir Roderick Carr". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ http://www.plienosparnai.lt/page.php?214
- ISBN 0-85177-839-9., pp. 12–13.
- ^ "C R Carr_P".
- ^ M. Brewer, 'New Zealand and the Legion d'honneur: Officiers, Commandeurs and Dignites', The Volunteers: The Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society, 35(3), March 2010, p. 137.
- ^ "No. 35029". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1941. p. 11.
- ^ "No. 37161". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 July 1945. p. 3489.
- ^ "No. 36033". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1943. p. 2420.
External links
- RAF biography Archived 14 September 2004 at the Wayback Machine