Fred GRIFFITH

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Date of Enlistment: 1932
Date of Demob:
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Date of Birth: in Ireland
Personal Details: Fred was the son of Mr S. Griffith of Thornton Road, Cambridge. The family emigrated to New Zealand and settled in Cambridge when Fred was 12 years old. He was educated at Cambridge High School

Service Details: Fred was one of three candidates accepted into the Royal Air Force from a total of fifteen applicants on his selection board. He learned to fly with the Royal Air Force.

By 1935 was a Flying Instructor working for Everson Air Services at Kildonan Aerodrome, Ireland. He won fame in 1935 by carrying the photographs of a Royal Wedding from Heston Airport in London, England to Dublin, Ireland in trying conditions and in record time in a de Havilland Fox Moth. Despite fog and cloud forcing him to fly blind he found and landed at Speke Aerodrome. He refuelled and sent a telegram, and then took off again for Ireland and landed just as it was growing dark. This saw his own photo appear on the front cover of the Irish Times daily newspaper.

Died:

Connection with Cambridge: Fred lived in Cambridge as a teenager

 

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