Trans-Australia Airlines Electra Crew

by Gil White

This page is dedicated to the memory of Gil White. It was Gil who compiled this listing and the companion listing of Ansett Electra crew members (his father was a TAA Electra Captain). Gil's work in this area of research also inspired the creation of similar listings of Qantas Electra, Constellation and Boeing 707 crew members. Gil passed away in Melbourne on 26 June 2006 after a long illness, knowing that his work and this dedication would be preserved in perpetuity.

 

Captains:

Armstrong, James Harry 'Jim'
Arnold, Stuart William (4)
Austen, Victor Cecil 'Cec'
Austin, Ronald James 'Ron'
Baker, Mervyn Garth 'Heels Beels'
Ball, Barry Gardiner
Benton, J. (12)
Black, Ivon Oswald 'Old Silver'
Black, Ronald B 'Ron'
Blomberg, John
Boyd, John A'Beckett Penleigh 'Pat' or 'Pappy'
Carnell, Ronald Cecil 'Ron'
Cast, Herbert
Chapman, Peter F
Clarke, Irwin Alexander Fraser 'Chick'
Close, Gordon (7)
Collins, Kenneth James 'Ken'
Crouch, Francis Norman 'Norm'
Curtis, John Richard 'Jack'
Darby, Maxwell Bruce
Duffell, Ivo Sidney
Edwards, Ronald Seymour 'Ron'
Eisenhauer, Reginald Herbert 'Ike'
Evans, Leslie William 'Les'
Felstead, Noel Kingsley John
Fischer, Frank
Fitzgerald, Michael Ignatius 'Mike'
Forster, William Sydney 'Bill'
Fox, Ken (9)
Glenn, Laurence A 'Laurie'
Godfrey, Dennis Frederick John
Goodall, Douglas Gordon, 'Jim'
Gordon, Leon James
Grady, Neville 'Nev'
Gray, Charles H 'Charlie'
Groves, John R
Hanson, George William Lesh
Harris, William 'Bill' (7)
Harrison, Thomas William 'Tom'
Hawkesford, Alan Wildy 'Hawkeye'
Hickey, John
Hickey, R R 'Ron'
Hofman, Aart Ritse
Huff, Douglas Edward 'Doug'
Humphris, Kevin Willoughby 'Kev'
James, Warren Owen 'Jimmy'
Jennings, William A 'Bill'
Keig, Rodney Brown 'Rod'
Knight, Raymond 'Ray'
Lauchland, Robert 'Bob'
Lawrence, Denis Russell (12)
Lee, Kevin Edward
Lee, Leslie Pearce
Lewis, Noel A
Linney, Thomas Lewis 'Tom'
Locke, Harry Baker
Lucas, Anthony Ulysses 'Tony'
Mackay, J L 'Laurie'
Mackellar, John Douglas 'Jack'
Maloney, James William 'Bill'
Manning, Lucius Windsor 'Gogs'
Marshall, James Harold Ryley
McDougall, George Royal
McIntyre, Frank (7)
McMillan, James Lewis Neil 'Jim'
McVicar, D S 'Bill'
Meates, Rupert 'Rupe' (7)
Meredith, Edgar James 'Ted'
Moor, John Henry
Morey, Len (9)
Munro, Alexander Edward 'Ted'
Newman, R T 'Bob'
Newman, Timothy Donald Kent 'Tim'
Nicholls, Horace Mervyn 'Merve'
O'Malley, Owen Valentine
Ostwald, Mervyn Clarke 'Merve'
Parker, Noel (7)
Pearce, Leslie William 'Les'
Pennycuick, Peter James Edward
Pickhaver, John Keith
Raye, Robert Reginald 'Bob'
Roberts, Terence Gerard Dennis 'Terry'
Savage, Gordon Walter
Shaw, Thomas Benjamin 'Tom'
Sheppard, George Kirkland
Simpson, Garry William
Stone, Philip Bramwell 'Pedro Gonzales'
Strong, Donald Bertram 'Don'
Sullivan, Niall
Swan, William Kenneth 'Bill'
Taber, Bruce Murray
Tamblyn, Harold 'Harry'
Tennent, Douglas Arthur 'Doug'
Thompson, Alan C
Wakeman, Kenneth James 'Ken'
White, Gilford James 'Gil'
Whittell, John
Widmer, Ronald 'Ron'
Wiley, John Charles 'Jack'
Wilson, Colin R 'Col'
Wilson, Donald Montgomery 'Don'
Winch, Donald Arthur (2)
Withers, Clifford Beresford

 

First Officers:

Alexander, C C 'Clem'
Armstrong, Peter M
Baker, R.L.A. Ray (9)
Bartley, Sydney M 'Syd'
Bennett, Jeffrey Roy 'Jeff'
Bennett, T.R. (12)
Boyce, John Alexis 'Jack'
Bracken, John Geoffrey 'Geoff'
Brown, John (9)
Carter, Ian R
Chapman, Edward R 'Ted'
Chappell, Barry E
Cockburn, Victor Frank 'Vic'
Coleman, Alan G
Conn, Terry 'Bluey' (8)
Coss, John Fraser
Croucher, David James (2)
Crutchfield, John R
Dart, Peter (9)
Davidson, J E J 'Jim'
Elliott, Philip L 'Phil'
Felton, Colin E 'Col'
Giles, John William 'Bill'
Goddard, Merton S 'Mert'
Goddard, Richard Martin 'Dick'
Gordon, Leon James 'Lee'
Haynes, William G 'Bill'
Haywood, Colin (3)
Hayward, David E 'Dave'
Heard, Leonard Thomas George
Higgins, J G 'Jim'
Hilder, James Arthur 'Jim
Hill, Gordon Kenneth
Hodges, Alan S
Hodges, George A
Hodgson, Michael Meredith 'Mike'
Hogan, Robert A 'Bob' (7)
Holding, George Victor Brian 'Brian'
Huston, Kerry P
Hyland, John W
Johansen, N G
Kelly, Alan
Kennedy, K M
Kerr, Peter A
Lamont, Noel Alistaire
Lavin, Joseph John Hemus
Leake, Brassey Edward 'Ted'
Lee, Kevin Edward
Litchfield, G. 'Geoff' (9)
Ludgate, Peter L
Mackenzie, Daryl Lindsay (10)
Matthews, John F
Maynard, Glenn D
McConnell, Philip F
McDonald, Ian Ibenthal
Morris, John Wharton
Muir, Bill (9)
Mulholland, Robert John 'Bob'
Nicholas, Kron G
North, Keith F
O'Grady, Frank J
O'Shannassy, John R
Paech, John Edgar
Pattterson, John Jeffrey 'Jeff'
Perry,J A
Peters, Douglas William Allard 'Doug'
Pickwell, John O
Plumstead, Christopher R 'Chris'
Porritt, Dudley Bowman 'Joe'
Pummeroy, David William Russell
Purnell, Kenneth James 'Ken'
Rowe, Philip Kenneth 'Phil'
Scown, Ivan Frederick
Shaw, Alan G
Singleton, Peter J
Smith, John G
Spring-Brown, David
Steele, T W 'Bill'
Sundstrup, Erik (11)
Tiller, Colin Alfred (6)
Vuillermin, Ray P
Waldron, Brian L
Wales, Brian John
Weaver, John F 'Steamboat'
Whittle,Colin A 'Col'
Willimczyk, Reinhold 'Ron'
Williams, John 'Jack' (9)

 

Flight Engineers:

Adams, C A E
Anderson, R C
Angove, R M
Arkcoll, Alan M
Armstrong, C
Barclay, Norman B 'Norm'
Belton, W W
Bennett, J R
Berryman, Alan G
Blakely, G L
Braithwaite, B E
Capel, N D
Chapman, Edward Richard 'Ted'
Cook, D L
Cook, Peter J
Corbett, R E
Dunne, Pat (9)
Dyball, H F
Eadie, D S
Evans, L W
Finden, R J
Furness, Robert Edwin 'Bob'
Goudie, William J 'Bill'
Hayler, Ronald M 'Ron'
Heard, Leonard Thomas George
Heaton, Alan James
Hopkins, Gordon V (8)
Hosking, Neil Wilfred
Jackson, Bryan A
Lane, Richard Charles 'Rick'
Locock, Leonard Henry 'Len'
Male, Robert James Grayson 'Bob'
Mar, Stanley Richard Henry 'Stan'
McArdle, Ian A
McArthur, George Allan
McDonald, Frederick William 'Fred'
McKay, N J
McKenzie, Douglas J 'Doug'
McKinnon, A W
Mee, Vincent John
Mitchell, John Stewart
Morley, Norman J 'Norm'
Morris, John W
Morris, Keith W
Muir, John
Musgrave, Kevin J. 'Muzza' (9)
Osmond, G V
Patterson, Rex S
Peake, B E
Peters, Max L
Ryan, John A
Seed, A D
Smith, R R
Smithson, Sidney Colin
Stevens, Michael H 'Mike'
Storer, Frank Charles
Swaffield, Kevin L
Taaffe, Ronald W 'Ron'
Thornton, P D 'Pat'
Tiller, Colin Alfred (6)
Todhunter, Norman Stuart Macquarie 'Norm'
Verity, Bob (5)
Webb, J H
Willmott, Roy Joseph

 

This list was compiled by Gil White whose father was a TAA Electra Captain. Any additions or corrections will be most welcome and these should be forwarded to the Webmaster Ron Cuskelly, who will continue to maintain the list in Gil's memory. Obviously, it has not been possible to seek the approval of every person on this list, so in the unlikely event that any person does not wish to be included in such distinguished company, that person's wishes will be respected. Please advise the Webmaster.


Issue Date Remarks
12 26JUN07
John Lawrence has advised that his father, Denis Russell Lawrence was omitted from the list of Captains. Captain Lawrence was on board VH-TLB during the hijack incident on 19JUL60. While adding Capt Lawrence to the list, it emerged that other crew members on board VH-TLB on that day were also missing from the list. Accordingly, Captain J. Benton and F/O T.R. Bennett have been added to the list. Thanks John for highlighting this omission.
11 09DEC06
Corrected spelling of Erik Sundstrup's given name. Thanks to Greg Weir.
10 06DEC06
Ian Mackenzie advises that his late father, Daryl Lindsay Mackenzie, was a First Officer on the Electra. Was previously listed as D.L. McKenzie. Corrected spelling of surname and added given names.
9 22MAY06
Added Captains Fox & Morey. F/Os Baker, Litchfield, Williams, Brown, Muir & Dart and F/E Musgrave all thanks to Doug McKenzie.
Added F/E Pat Dunne. Pat advises he was an F/E on the Electra in 64/65 before joining Cathay Pacific as an F/E on Electras.
8 22MAR06
Added F/O Terry Conn (1964 - ) and F/E Gordon Hopkins (1964 - 1966). Both contributed by Gordon Hopkins.
7 20AUG05
Bob Hogan advises that he was a F/O on Electras from July 1967 until March 1970. Bob has also contributed the following:
Captains William Harris, Frank McIntyre, Gordon Close, Noel Parker and Rupert Meates.
Bob has also corrected the first names of F/O Kelly and F/O Willimczyk.
The following F/Os have been deleted as they were already shown as Captains:
Armstrong JH, Austin RJ, Knight R, Newman TDK and Sullivan N.
6 01MAY05
Geoff Bracken advises: "At one stage there were a few F/Os too many and some were trained as F/Es. The idea was short lived and not popular with either the F/Es or F/Os!!" This is why some may be listed as both pilot and engineer.
5 20DEC04
Stuart Arnold has added Flight Engineer Bob Verity to the lisr. Thanks Stuart.
4 17NOV04
Barry Arnold advises that his father, Stuart William Arnold, was one of the last three TAA Captains to be current on the Electra. He was the last Electra Check Captain with TAA. Thanks Barry.
3 15SEP04
Added F/O Haywood thanks to Colin Haywood.
2 13JUL04
Added Capt Winch and F/O Croucher thanks to Dave Croucher.
1 28FEB04
Original issue


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