Roy Halliday
Encyclopedia
Vice-Admiral Sir Roy William "Gus" Halliday KBE
, DSC
(27 June 1923 – 23 November 2007) was a British naval pilot who saw service in the Second World War
, in the British Pacific Fleet
and subsequently became Director-General Intelligence in Britain's Defence Intelligence Staff between 1981 and 1984.
and University College School
before volunteering in 1939 for the Royal Navy. While he awaited his call-up papers, he worked as a trawler deck-hand on Breadwinner, out of Lowestoft
. Initially entering service in 1941 as a naval rating
at HMS Royal Arthur
at Skegness
, he was offered a commission as an officer in the RNVR and training as a naval airman. His air training took place in the United States (still formally neutral at that time) at the naval air station at Grosse Ile
, near Detroit and at Pensacola
, Florida. After qualifying, he was posted to a squadron of Grumman Avengers, aboard the escort carrier HMS Chaser
in the Gulf of Mexico
.
After three months period on anti-submarine patrols in the north Atlantic, Halliday was posted to a shore station, RNAS Hatston
in Orkney, guarding against sorties by German warships. In late 1943, Halliday's squadron was embarked on HMS Illustrious; they sailed for the Far East
, arriving at Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in January 1944. There were air raids on Japanese installations and in support of 14th Army operations.
Halliday had transferred to HMS Victorious
by the time of the Meridian air raids
by the British Pacific Fleet
on oil refineries near Palembang
on 24 January. Halliday's aircraft was shot up during the raid and he was obliged to "ditch" his burning aircraft in the sea; he was rescued by HMS Whelp
. Whelp's first lieutenant
, Prince Philip of Greece, lent Halliday a spare uniform and subsequently accompanied him on a "run ashore" in Fremantle
.
Halliday was back on Victorious in time to take part in the raids on the airfields on the Sakishima Islands
in March to May 1945, for his efforts, he was awarded a DSC
in addition to the Mention in Dispatches earned during Operation Meridian.
After the Japanese surrender, he learned that his cabin-mate, Ken Burrenston, who had been shot down over Palembang, had been beheaded by the Japanese at Changi
, two days after the Japanese surrender.
. On return to the UK, he was offered, and accepted, a permanent commission in the Royal Navy (16 March 1946) and took up a post as a test pilot at Boscombe Down. There followed several postings to naval units: commander of 813 Naval Air Squadron
on HMS Eagle
; commander of HMS Diligence (a base at Hythe, Hampshire
); senior officer of the 104th Minesweeping Squadron in the Far East. The 104th swept left-over Japanese mines
in the Celebes Sea
and chased pirates, who desisted once the ready use of capital punishment
by the civil authorities became known.
The next appointment was for two years as naval assistant to the Chief of Naval Information at the Admiralty
. During this time, Halliday closed down a leak of information to the press. Another sea posting ensued in 1964, as second in command of commando carrier HMS Albion
and commander of its air operations, for which he learnt to fly helicopters. Albion was a busy posting, supporting operations in the Radfan
and Aden
and in Borneo
during the Indonesian Confrontation.
He was appointed Deputy Director Naval Air Warfare in 1966, Captain Far East Fleet and Western Fleet in 1970 and Commodore Amphibious Warfare in 1971. He went on to be Commodore Intelligence in 1973, Naval Attaché and Commander of the British Navy Staff in Washington D. C. in 1975 and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Intelligence) in 1978 before retiring in 1981.
In retirement he served as Director-General Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence
from 1981 to 1984.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(27 June 1923 – 23 November 2007) was a British naval pilot who saw service in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in the British Pacific Fleet
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
and subsequently became Director-General Intelligence in Britain's Defence Intelligence Staff between 1981 and 1984.
War service
Halliday studied at William Ellis SchoolWilliam Ellis School
William Ellis School is a United Kingdom secondary comprehensive school for boys in Highgate, London.-Admissions:It is a specialist Language College. The School's motto is 'Rather Use Than Fame'. The school is over-subscribed, usually an indicator of a popular school. It is situated just west of...
and University College School
University College School
University College School, generally known as UCS, is an Independent school charity situated in Hampstead, north west London, England. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London and inherited many of that institution's progressive and secular views...
before volunteering in 1939 for the Royal Navy. While he awaited his call-up papers, he worked as a trawler deck-hand on Breadwinner, out of Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
. Initially entering service in 1941 as a naval rating
Naval rating
A Naval Rating is an enlisted member of a country's Navy, subordinate to Warrant Officers and Officers hence not conferred by commission or warrant...
at HMS Royal Arthur
HMS Royal Arthur (shore establishment)
HMS Royal Arthur was a shore establishment of the Royal Navy, initially at Ingoldmells near Skegness, and later at Corsham, Wiltshire.-Skegness:...
at Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
, he was offered a commission as an officer in the RNVR and training as a naval airman. His air training took place in the United States (still formally neutral at that time) at the naval air station at Grosse Ile
Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
Grosse Ile Township is a general law township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township is situated on several islands in the Detroit River, but the largest island is also referred to as simply Grosse Ile. The name comes from French Grosse Île, meaning "Big Island"...
, near Detroit and at Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola , "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits...
, Florida. After qualifying, he was posted to a squadron of Grumman Avengers, aboard the escort carrier HMS Chaser
HMS Chaser (D32)
The USS Breton was an Attacker-class escort aircraft carrier that served during World War II....
in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.
After three months period on anti-submarine patrols in the north Atlantic, Halliday was posted to a shore station, RNAS Hatston
RNAS Hatston
RNAS Hatston, also called HMS Sparrowhawk, was a Royal Naval Air Station.It was situated one mile to the north west of Kirkwall on the island of Mainland, Orkney...
in Orkney, guarding against sorties by German warships. In late 1943, Halliday's squadron was embarked on HMS Illustrious; they sailed for the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, arriving at Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in January 1944. There were air raids on Japanese installations and in support of 14th Army operations.
Halliday had transferred to HMS Victorious
HMS Victorious (R38)
HMS Victorious was the second Illustrious-class aircraft carrier ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme. She was laid down at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1937 and launched two years later in 1939...
by the time of the Meridian air raids
Operation Meridian
During World War II, Operation Meridian was a series of British air attacks conducted on 24 January and 29 January 1945 on Japanese-held oil refineries at Palembang, on Sumatra...
by the British Pacific Fleet
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
on oil refineries near Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
on 24 January. Halliday's aircraft was shot up during the raid and he was obliged to "ditch" his burning aircraft in the sea; he was rescued by HMS Whelp
HMS Whelp (R37)
HMS Whelp was a W-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that was ordered and launched during the Second World War. After completing trials in home waters, she joined the 27th Destroyer Flotilla, which was sent to the Far East via the Mediterranean...
. Whelp's first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
, Prince Philip of Greece, lent Halliday a spare uniform and subsequently accompanied him on a "run ashore" in Fremantle
Fremantle
Freemantle is a suburb of Southampton in England.Fremantle or Freemantle may also refer to:- Places :* Fremantle, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia...
.
Halliday was back on Victorious in time to take part in the raids on the airfields on the Sakishima Islands
Sakishima Islands
The are an island chain located at the southernmost end of the Japanese Archipelago. They are part of the Nansei Islands and include the Miyako Islands and the Yaeyama Islands...
in March to May 1945, for his efforts, he was awarded a DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
in addition to the Mention in Dispatches earned during Operation Meridian.
After the Japanese surrender, he learned that his cabin-mate, Ken Burrenston, who had been shot down over Palembang, had been beheaded by the Japanese at Changi
Changi Prison
Changi Prison is a prison located in Changi in the eastern part of Singapore.-First prison and POW camp:...
, two days after the Japanese surrender.
Post-war
Halliday returned to Britain on the troopship Rangitiki with his squadron commander, David Foster, who subsequently became president of Colgate-PalmoliveColgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American diversified multinational corporation focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products . Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of...
. On return to the UK, he was offered, and accepted, a permanent commission in the Royal Navy (16 March 1946) and took up a post as a test pilot at Boscombe Down. There followed several postings to naval units: commander of 813 Naval Air Squadron
813 Naval Air Squadron
813 Naval Air Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II and again post-war. It initially operated Swordfish Mk Is from the aircraft carrier Illustrious and took part in the successful raid on Taranto in November 1940.In July 1943, the squadron was a...
on HMS Eagle
HMS Eagle (R05)
HMS Eagle was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy, in service 1951-1972. With her sister ship , she is one of the two largest British aircraft carriers yet built....
; commander of HMS Diligence (a base at Hythe, Hampshire
Hythe, Hampshire
Hythe is a village near Southampton, Hampshire, England. It is located by the shore of Southampton Water, and has a ferry service connecting it to Southampton...
); senior officer of the 104th Minesweeping Squadron in the Far East. The 104th swept left-over Japanese mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
in the Celebes Sea
Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south by Sulawesi, and on the west by Kalimantan in Indonesia...
and chased pirates, who desisted once the ready use of capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
by the civil authorities became known.
The next appointment was for two years as naval assistant to the Chief of Naval Information at the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. During this time, Halliday closed down a leak of information to the press. Another sea posting ensued in 1964, as second in command of commando carrier HMS Albion
HMS Albion (R07)
HMS Albion was a 22,000 ton Centaur-class light fleet carrier of the Royal Navy.-Construction and modifications:She was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. Her keel was laid down in March 1944 and she was launched in May 1947...
and commander of its air operations, for which he learnt to fly helicopters. Albion was a busy posting, supporting operations in the Radfan
Radfan
Radfan or the Radfan Hills is a region of the Republic of Yemen. In the 1960s, the area was part of a British protectorate of Dhala and was the site of intense fighting during the Aden Emergency...
and Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
and in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
during the Indonesian Confrontation.
He was appointed Deputy Director Naval Air Warfare in 1966, Captain Far East Fleet and Western Fleet in 1970 and Commodore Amphibious Warfare in 1971. He went on to be Commodore Intelligence in 1973, Naval Attaché and Commander of the British Navy Staff in Washington D. C. in 1975 and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Intelligence) in 1978 before retiring in 1981.
In retirement he served as Director-General Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
from 1981 to 1984.