The epitaph on his gravestone includes the description “A good egg”.
Charles Thomas Dennehy “Sox” Hosegood FRAeS is best
remembered for his career in aviation.
He joined the Royal Navy just after the outbreak of World War Two and
gained his Fleet Air Arm wings in July 1940.
Late in the war he was one of the first six Naval Pilots sent to America
to convert to helicopters on the Sikorsky R4.
In March 1945 Hosegood became the Navy test pilot at the Joint Service
Helicopter Test Unit of the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (AFEE)
at Beulieu. He left the Navy in November
1946.
In 1952 Hosegood became Chief Test Pilot of the Bristol
Aeroplane Company’s Helicopter Division.
He worked on the Bristol Sycamore, the first British helicopter to gain
its Certificate of Airworthiness. He
made the initial flights of the Bristol Belvedere and saw it into service with
the RAF.
After Westland took over Bristol’s Helicopter Division in 1963 Hosegood joined the South Western Electricity Board to set up their Helicopter
Unit for power line inspection duties.
He managed the Helicopter Unit for 20 years up to his retirement by
which time it had expanded to cover power line inspections for 4 neighbouring
Boards.
He is buried in the churchyard of Christ Church in the
village of Redhill, North Somerset.
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