Former Civil Aviation Director passes away

Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Former Director of the Cayman Islands Civil Aviation Authority Jim Verran died recently in the UK at the age of 88.

The New Zealander of Cornish and Scottish decent had a distinguished record as a Royal Air Force bomber pilot in the Second World War, serving as Squadron Leader.

He was wounded seriously twice during the conflict and suffered severe burns.

He was taken prisoner and attributed his survival to a German doctor.

Mr Verran ended the war a prisoner of war.

After a long career in the RAF, Mr Vernon became deputy to the Director of Civil Aviation on Cyprus and later helped establish a civil aviation structure in Somalia.

From 1966 to 1974, he was seconded to Fiji as Controller of Transport and Civil Aviation, overseeing the development of Nadi airport, then the largest airport complex in the south-west Pacific.

Described as a warm and generous man, Mr Verran was said to have brought out the best in the Fijians.

He showed skill as a fisherman and sailor and later, as Director of Civil Aviation in the Cayman Islands, he took up scuba diving, though by then he was in his sixties.

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