Personally, I think Rod was made the public scapegoat for the many and varied deficiencies ---- but were any deficiencies his ---- I don't think so.
Just remember that this accident happened at nearly the same time as the Monarch and Seaview accidents. The CAA was fighting for survival and had to produce a "head on a block" to appease the public. Rod's was handed to them by a deposed DC3 C&T captain (Mr DC3).