ZL4BO Roy DXCC “Top of the Honour Roll” 335/375
There will be many amateurs around the World that have ZL4 “Blue Ocean” in their log books on as many as 5 bands as well. Roy is one of the renowned DXers of New Zealand. Vernon Roy Jackson was born during WW1. Educated in Southland, he joined the RNZAF in 1941 and trained as a pilot at Taeiri airfield near Dunedin. Roy was mentioned in dispatches for his numerous sorties in C47 (Douglas DC3) aircraft in Southeast Asia.
Roy writes,
“I was making an approach to an airfield we called Aberdeen behind the enemy lines in Burma when a jap night fighter took out the port engine and other bits and pieces. Fortunately I was able to put the old girl on the ground with only casualty being a broken wrist on one of the army boys on board. We stripped the aircraft of all the valuable bits and left it there. Nobody ever said anything about the loss of that aircraft!”
He did more than 700 sorties in SE. Asia during the war in DC3 unarmed transports. Flying Officer Jackson was discharged from the RNZAF May 1945.
Roy started collecting “countries” when amateurs were allowed back on the air and made many contacts on the bands 80/40/20/15/10m. His “deleted entity” total is 40, one of the highest in the World. Many ZL hams joined Roy on 80m, or 40m at grayline to enjoy working into Africa on the low bands and many can thank Roy for his kindness and assistance on these nets. Val and Roy retired from his building business and life style block and moved into Invercargill. Roy still had access to DX with his holiday home shack in Alexandra, with the TH6, and various dipoles strung in the trees.
In 2002 Roy took ill and most thought that he would not recover. His family had a premature clean out of his effects and when Roy recovered he found 60,000 QSL cards and 100 logs books had been dumped! Fortunately, his records of the awards 5BDXCC, 5BWAZ had been retained, including his last 4 log books. Help came from ZL3JT and Roy was able to get the last cards he needed for “Top of the DXCC Honour Roll” in 2003. The last entity he confirmed was VP6DIA Ducie Island. Roy could be heard every now and then from Alexandra, DXing as always, with a pile up on 40m! The last entity Roy worked was YV0D Aves Island in August 2004. Roy had finally confirmed all 335 entities on the current DXCC list for DXCC No1 Honour Roll.
His individual band confirmations tell the story: 80m 274, 40m 323 , 20m 331, 15m 323, 10m 294. Mixed , but mostly phone. On CW Roy writes, “I could probably rake up 100 entities in CW from my escapades in the BERU contests alone, I won it a few times, but I never kept a count. Without my logbooks I couldn’t possibly work it out!” Roy was well known as a net controller on the ANZA net on 15m. The longest running net in the World initiated by the late Percy Anderson VK4CPA. Roy always delighted in working Africa… “ They were the hardest to work!”
73, Roy ZL4BO
From Derek ZL1BOQ
Let me tell you what a guy Roy was. Back in 1980, we decided to go for the 40m leg of WAZ, as we both liked 40m best. We co-operated with each other of course. When we both need zones 2 and 34 to wrap it up, Roy rang me late one night, when I was in bed to say he had VO2CW waiting for me !! I got up and worked it. We both needed just the one more. At 1605Z, or five past four in the morning, I worked DF3NZ/ST2, in the Sudan, and promptly rang Roy, who also worked it. I told Roy to send his card up to me, and I would get the QSLs. A couple of weeks later they arrived. I rang Roy to tell, and I said jokingly. “I will send you yours next week, while send off my application now” I forget the exact words but it went like this.”You Bastard!!”.I told Roy that I would toss a coin, and if he won the toss, I would hold off sending mine away for a week. He did win the toss, and Roy got award #9 and I got #10. After that we went on to complete the 5BWAZ together, helping each other. Roy went on holiday overseas, and on his way home stopped in LA. I got a parcel from Henry Radio containing two 572B linear tubes!!! That is the sort of Guy he is.
ps. I also rang ZL3GQ when zone 36 was on 80m, which helped him finish first.
Roy had to be one of the true and most unselfish gentleman of Amateur Radio when it came to working Dx and helping others do the same. A legend in our time that may not be repeated for years to come.