The Sir Geoffrey Roberts Memorial Lecture Third Annual Aviation Industry Conference Week July 2010 W R Tannock BSc (Hons), CEng, FRAeS To be offered the opportunity to deliver the first Sir ber of the New Zealand Territorial Force, left these Geoffrey Roberts Memorial Lecture is indeed an shores for UK, at his own expense, to join the Royal honour and I thank The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Air Force. Although he failed his first medical ex- Navigators, The Royal New Zealand Air Force, The amination - his health was "rundown" after seven Royal Aeronautical Society and The Aviation Indus- weeks at sea - he was soon accepted into the RAF on try Association for inviting me to do so. a short service commission with the rank of Acting Pilot Officer – just as well since he had less than 10 The founding organisations determined that the shillings in its pocket. After the mandatory period of subject of the lecture would be “on any significant " square bashing" and a short period of, as Des Lyn- civilian or military aviation topic, this can include skey used to call it, " knife and fork school", he was design, testing of significant aircraft, significant off to flying training, passing successfully as an technical or safety initiatives or the contributions of "above-average" student graduating with a major civilian or military aviation personnel”. I feel "distinguished pass". it is entirely appropriate that this inaugural lecture should commemorate the life and times of Sir Geof- Geoffrey Roberts was posted to India to fly light- frey himself considering the significant contribution day bombers on the Northwest frontier where he was he made to both military and civil aviation. to stay until 1933. On a period of leave, during which he met Phyllis, whom he later married, he did Geoffrey Newland Roberts arrived in this world in some mountaineering in the Southern Alps where he 1906. He was the third child of an English immi- became involved in rather a daring rescue operation. grant father and a New Zealand mother from a pio- Returning to the subcontinent, he was flat broke - so neer Taranaki family. When he died in 1995, his life broke, in fact, that he had to borrow a "quid" from had spanned nearly the whole of the 20th century his personal bearer on disembarking from the ship. and nearly the first one hundred years of flight. At the end of his posting to India and with his Geoffrey's father, Charles, owned a hardware busi- Short Service Commission soon-to-be completed, ness in Inglewood. Geoffrey had two elder siblings, Geoffrey Roberts found himself with three choices. Kenneth, who became an accomplished and well- Stay in the RAF, join an airline or begin again in in- respected scientist in the United Kingdom, and Flor- dustry. Such was the integrity and determination of ence, a dedicated teacher both here and in England. the man, that after the apparent glamour of being an RAF officer on the Northwest Frontier, he returned Geoffrey’s father was an Anglican lay reader and to "civvie" street working on shift in the mill room of has been described as a gentle romantic but he had the Goodyear Tyre Company, at least it was still in his austere side - he was a strict disciplinarian. The aviation – Goodyear made aircraft brakes and tyres. young Geoffrey was brought up in a family environ- He moved to Birmingham into sales and service. His ment rich in religious values, where the King was to talent again showed through when he won the title of be respected and the community was to be served. the most successful Goodyear salesman in the British Isles. However, notwithstanding this success, he and Eschewing University when he left school, he be- Phyllis and their young son moved back to New Zea- came a car salesman: making progress quickly he land. Geoffrey obtained a position with the Shell become head of department by the age of 19. Being Company of New Zealand in Christchurch where he aware of all the aviation activity happening in New hoped he could land the position of aviation manager Zealand at the time, even before he had seen an aero- but this was not to be. plane, young Geoffrey Roberts decided that he was going into aviation and he was going to get to the The foregoing has given you an insight into Geof- top! He certainly succeeded – Air Commodore Sir frey’s formative and early career years. An analysis Geoffrey Roberts CBE, AFC, L of M (US), FRAeS of his biography leads to the conclusion that Geof- retired as Chairman of Air New Zealand 50 years frey Roberts was a man determined to be a success later. for himself, family, King and country. He had cho- sen aviation, not because he was an aficionado of the It was in 1928 that Geoffrey Roberts, already a mem- art and science of aeronautics, but because aviation provided the opportunity and means to fulfil his goal. On the 29th of August 1939, when the black clouds It seems that the post-war Shell Company still had of war were over Europe, Geoffrey received a tele- little interest in aviation. Geoffrey was welcome to gram from the Air Ministry in London telling him return of course, war service would count as com- that his King needed him. As an A grade reservist pany service and the senior position of lubricants of the RAF and a current New Zealand territorial he manager had been reserved for him. With no alter- had two loyalties but what to do? The chaps in Wel- native, he accepted the post and became a nine to lington did not have any good "gen" on the overall fiver travelling to and from Hataitai each day on the situation so they advised him to go to Singapore as tram. directed by the RAF since it had first call on him. However, before he could leave he was told to re- It was not long before Geoffrey saw an advertise- main in New Zealand to protect the Dominion. It ment for someone to fill the vacant position of Gen- was a close escape for Geoffrey since most of the eral Manager, Tasman Empire Airways Limited in RAF reservists who travelled to Singapore ended up Auckland. His application was short and to the working for the Japanese on the Burma Road. point, little longer than a page, he was invited to an interview with TEAL's chairman, A E Rudder, and Geoffrey was soon promoted to Squadron Leader Roberts was good enough to get the job. Rudder - and tasked with forming the New Zealand General what a wonderful name for a chairman – steady hand Reconnaissance Squadron by consolidating the three on the tiller - or feet lightly on the pedals! territorial squadrons at Whenuapai - as yet unfin- ished. It was in May 1946 that Geoffrey Roberts settled himself in the GM's chair in Mechanics Bay. The In 1941, Geoffrey Roberts was posted to Suva to airline had been in existence for six years and now set up outposts in the South Pacific. He was sorry to here he was running it albeit with a fleet of two eld- leave his New Zealand command but there was a war erly Short S.30 Empire class flying boats. If I may on. inject a personal note here I have more than a nod- ding acquaintance with that situation having run an When the United States came into the war and airline with two elderly Armstrong Whitworth Ar- swarmed into the South Pacific there was the inevita- gosy aircraft. It's not so much running an airline, ble clash of cultures between the colonial British, more like being a curator. Fiji was still a British colony, the Americans and the The shareholding of TEAL in 1946 was New Zea- New Zealanders. Group Captain Roberts, as he was land government 50%, Australia 30% and UK 20%. by this time, had to become a bit of a diplomat. He One can imagine the intrigue that existed and the usually excelled at this although sometimes ruffled political skill and diplomacy that Geoffrey Roberts feathers because he always planned strategically, set would require in his new position. his priorities logically and spent New Zealand money prudently. On the other hand, typically, the By 1946 the frequency of services across the Tasman British were bewildered and the Americans com- had built up to seven per week, still with the Empire pletely gung ho! Class flying boat. These boats were too small and slow. Prior to Roberts’ arrival at TEAL a replace- At the end of 1942 he was back in New Zealand, ment had been arranged. The British would provide his job in the South Pacific well done. He came back on a hire basis, three Short S.25 Tasman Class San- to Whenuapai as Base Commander - a base of 4000 dringham flying boats – they were bigger and faster men and women plus elements of the United States but were, in fact, tarted up Sunderlands of Second Army Air Force. World War fame. The Sandringham's career with TEAL was a short and unhappy one - cooling prob- In 1944, Geoffrey was on the move again, this time lems with their Pratt and Whitney Wasp engines re- to Bougainville in the northern Solomons. This post- sulted in grounding - they were withdrawn in Febru- ing can best be described as representing New Zea- ary 1948. Four Short S.45 Solent Mk IV flying boats land, Fijian and British interests on the staff of Com- were acquired but these were not delivered until mander, Air, Northern Solomons, USAAF.