Biographical Data

Hutchins, Roger William

Personal Image

Photo Credit: Michael Price

 
 
Title Lieutenant-Commander (P) (RCN(R))
Official Number (nk)
 
Birth 15/03/1925 Death 14/08/2015
Place Montreal Place Toronto
Area PQ Area ON
Country Canada Country Canada
 
Titles
Honours
Awards
Qualifications
 
Biography
After his naval service he attended McGill University studying physics and mathematics. In 1949 he operated Mount Royal Metal Company, the family business, on the death of his father in that same year. When the company was sold to the American Smelting and Refining Company, Roger worked with the subsidiary Federated Metals Canada Limited. He learned to fly at his own expense and worked in his summers with Hollinger-Ungava Air Transport as First Offficer. After graduation from McGill he worked as a Captain and was flying dangerous cargo (dynamite, aviation gas), into the north. He joined Field Aviation and Kenting Aviation as a Pilot. He flew executive aircraft and geophysical remote sensor surveys in the Arctic and inaugurated ice survey flights in the Arctic on behalf of the Ice Forecasting Service. He became a scientist/engineer in geophysical sensor devvelopment. In 1970 he founded Huntec Ltd. and sold it in 1986. He then worked as a private consultant in applied physics and mathematics.
 
Military Service
He was appointed as an Ordinary Seaman (Officer Candidate UNTD) RCNVR (With seniority dated 01/01/1943). He served in HMCS Donnacona 1943. He served in HMCS Cornwallis for New Entry Training 1943. He served in HMCS Acadia for Sea Training. He served in RCAF Saskatoon for Training. He was appointed as an Able-Seaman RCNVR as a CW Candidate. (CFR). He was appointed as a Probationary Sub-Lieutenant (Temp.) RCNVR. He served in HMCS Kings (Officer Training Establishment) (Beatty III Division) 1945. (He was demobilized 12/10/1945). (Transferred to RCN(R)). He was appointed as an A/Lieutenant (P) RCN(R) (With seniority dated 29/04/1947). He was appointed as a Lieutenant RCN(R) (With seniority dated 29/04/1947). He served in HMCS York for VC-920 Reserve Squadron 1954. He was appointed as a Lieutenant-Commander (P) RCN(R) (With seniority dated 27/01/1956). He served in HMCS York for VC-920 Reserve Squadron as Commanding Officer 1958. (He retired.)
 
Vessels Owned
Aircraft Flown Total Flying Hours: 6000. Total Fixed Wing deck Landings: 34. Service Aircraft Flown: CS2F, Mustang, Sea Fury, Avenger, C-45, Harvard, Chipmunk, Tiger Moth, Cornell. Civilian Aircraft Flown: DC-3, C-47, PBY, L-1408, DC-4, D-50, E-18, Aeronca, Fleet Canuck
Named Features
 
Anecdotes
Under his guidance, the Huntec became a world leader in developing land electromagnetic and marine geophysical survey equipment. Its Huntec Deep Tow Seismic system, used in ocean resource exploitation, revolutionized high resolution marine profiling and has been used for more than 250,000 km of sub-bottom profiling in Canadian waters.
 
References
Government of Canada The Canadian Navy List Ottawa ON; MacFarlane, John and Robbie Hughes (1997); The Navy List Volumes I, II and III (HMSO London); http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?pid=175556308; Bill Clearihue (Nominal List UNTD);
Last update
2017-11-25 00:00:00

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