Enlisted at No. 3 Recruit Centre (3 RC), Padgate, Warrington, Cheshire, as Aircraftman Second Class (AC2), where he was recommended for training as Air Gunner. Mustered as Air Crew Hand / Driver, Petrol (DP).

No. 3 Recruit Centre (3 RC), 2 Wing, Padgate, Warrington, Cheshire.

1 Wing, No. 3 School of Technical Training (3 SoTT), Squires Gate, Blackpool, Lancashire.

Promoted to Aircraftman First Class (AC1) and remustered as Driver, Petrol (DP).

No. 926 (East Lancashire) Balloon Squadron, Long Millgate, Manchester, or Bowlee, Lancashire.

RAF Station, Gosport, Hampshire (section n/k).

Promoted to Leading Aircraftman.

RAF Station, Worksop, Nottinghamshire.

No. 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron, Odiham, Hampshire (driver).

Remustered as Driver, Mechanical Transport.

Attached to No. 1 Mechanical Transport (1 MT), Company, Mowden Hall, Darlington.

Returned to No. 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron, Odiham, Hampshire (driver)

No. 9 Air Gunnery School (9 AGS), Llanwrog, Caernarfonshire (Anson tbc), remustering as under training Air Gunner.

Awarded Air Gunner’s (AG) brevet, promoted to Sergeant, and remustered as Air Gunner.

No. 20 Operational Training Unit (20 OTU), Lossiemouth, Scotland (Wellington); joins G C Fahnestock crew.

Wellington

No. 101 Squadron, Bourn, Cambridgeshire
Ops (30): G C Fahnestock, J G Brown (5), D A Reddick (x), G W O Fisher (x) crews
17 Jun 42 – St Nazaire
19 Jun 42 – Emden
20 Jun 42 – Emden
22 Jun 42 – Emden
25 Jun 42 – Bremen; stbd engine problems
26 Jun 42 – St Nazaire
29 Jun 42 – Bremen
07 Jul 42 – Gardening
23 Jul 42 – Duisburg
26 Jul 42 – Hamburg
28 Jul 42 – Hamburg

Wellington & Lancaster

No. 101 Squadron moved to Stradishall
13 Aug 42 – Juist; gardening (Brown)
15 Aug 42 – Dusseldorf (Brown); engine failure & hit by flak
17 Aug 42 – Osnabruck (Brown); returned early port engine surging & Nav sick
24 Aug 42 – Frankfurt (Brown); landed Honington
27 Aug 42 – Kassel (Brown); Ditching in Wellington X3649 (SR-F?)
Following an engine fire and subsequent failure, the crew jettisoned their load and ammunition. The aircraft ditched at sea at 2240 at 5222N 00206E. The crew all survived the ditching, but the dinghy failed to operate, so they decided to swim to the shore. Hill and two others were eventually picked up by trawler after swimming for 1h 10m, but no trace was found of the pilot and WOp, who were lost, presumed drowned. The three survivors were collected from North Coates by a Squadron aircraft (flown by WO Ollier)
19 Sep 42 – Saarbrucken (Reddick)

Wellington

No. 101 Squadron moved to Holme-on-Spalding Moor
02 Oct 42 – Krefeld (Reddick)
05 Oct 42 – Aachen (Reddick)
11 Oct 42 – First Lancasters arrived on 101 Squadron

Wellington & Lancaster

Discharged on appointment to a Commission.

Commissioned as Pilot Officer on probation (emergency) from Sergeant (London Gazette, 29 Dec 42, p5641),

No. 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit (1656 HCU), Breighton, Yorkshire (Lancaster conversion).

Lancaster

Returned to No. 101 Squadron, Bourn, Cambridgeshire
20 Nov 42 – Turin (Reddick)
22 Nov 42 – Stuttgart (Reddick)
09 Dec 42 – Turin (Reddick)
11 Dec 42 – Turin (Reddick); aircraft’s flaps failed, and it overshot the runway on landing in W4311, finishing up in a ditch
30 Jan 43 – Hamburg (Fisher); SO engine failed so bombed Vechta aerodrome
02 Feb 43 – Cologne (Fisher)
03 Feb 43 – Hamburg (Fisher); returned early from Egmond on the Dutch coast due icing
11 Feb 43 – Wilhelmshaven (Fisher)
13 Feb 43 – Lorient (Fisher)
14 Feb 43 – Milan (Reddick)
16 Feb 43 – Lorient (Fisher)

Lancaster

Rescued S W Hughes (FE) from No. 101 Squadron’s Lancaster ED374, which had crashed on landing – possibly injured himself (see MBE citation below).

No. 81 Operational Training Unit (81 OTU), Whitchurch Heath (Tilstock), Shropshire; as an instructor.

Whitley

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) Gazetted 12 Mar 43, p1188 Citation? Awarded as Pilot Officer on No. 101 Squadron.

Elmbridge Court, Gloucester, Gloucestershire

To? Unknown.

Promoted to Flying Officer on probation (war substantive) (London Gazette 02 Jul 43, p2985).

OBE (Military Division) Gazetted 14 May 43, p2151.

Attached to Central School of Aircraft Recognition (CS of AR), A12 (Aircraft Recognition) Course, Kenworthy’s Hydro, Southport, Lancashire; until 28 July 1943.

Central Gunnery School (CGS), 64 (Gunnery Leaders) Course, Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire; until 1 September 1943.

Joined No. 576 Squadron at Elsham Wolds, Linconshire as Gunnery Leader.

Lancaster

Awarded Acting Flight Lieutenant.

Lancaster

Promoted to Flight Lieutenant (war substantive) (London Gazette date? Page?); date unknown.

Set Rank from Flight Record

Set Rank from Flight Record

22/23 May 44 – Dortmund (Reed); lost in ME687 UL-S2

Hill was allegedly due to be replaced by Flight Sgt J G Duns, an RCAF Air Gunner, whose crew had just completed their second tour. Hill agreed to fly one more operation with RR Reed so that his replacement could have a celebratory drink that night with his old crew. The aircraft was shot down by Fwbl. Kurt Landl of II./KG300 (his first victory) and crashed at Hiddingsel, a small village 20 km SW of Münster. There were no survivors.

Initially buried at Hiddingsel Cemetery, and reinterred at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery on 11 Apr 47, Collective grave 27.D.1-11 (no inscription).

Lancaster

Personal Records Restricted - not available to the public

Personal Documents Restricted - not available to the public