LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John Richard Loessel HILL
From Australia serving in the Royal Air Force
Service No: 108368 (RAFVR)
Born: Subiaco WA, 29 May 1912
Enlisted in the RAF: Date unavailable
Unit: No. 961 Balloon Squadron (RAF (Auxiliary Air Force))
Died: Operations at Sea , English Channel, 19 August 1942, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles A R and Lucia M Hill, husband of Margaret Blanche Hill, of Essendon, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 67, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
On 19 August 1942, Air Sea Rescue High Speed Launch (HSL) 122 was lost during an amphibious and air raid on Dieppe, France.
The crew members of HSL 122 were:
Corporal Rex Arthur Appleby (1375497) (RAFVR)
Leading Aircraftman Albert Dargue (RAFVR) Rescued by HSL 177
Leading Aircraftman Donald Basil Dennis (1383647) (RAFVR)
Leading Aircraftman Harold Kenneth Good (1458804) (RAFVR)
Flying Officer John Richard Loessel Hill (108368) (RAFVR) (Boat Captain)
Leading Aircraftman Ralph John Moss (1465905) Rescued by HSL 177, Died from wounds: 20 August 1942
Leading Aircraftman Nunn (RAFVR) Wounded, Rescued by HSL 177
Sergeant Frank Ostell Blaylock Osbourne (1104514) (RAFVR)
Leading Aircraftman Richard Frederick Stephenson (1516941) (RAFVR)
Yet to be identified Crew Member, Rescued by HSL 177
Yet to be identified Crew Member, taken PoW
Yet to be identified Crew Member, taken PoW
Four crew members, one of whom died the following day, were rescued by HSL 123. HSL 123 was immediately attacked by Fw190 aircraft and sank soon afterwards. Survivors from both 122 and 123 were subsequently rescued by HSL 177.
References:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/36/192
On Line Sources
Perth Modernian Society Museum Association Incorporated
WA Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages On Line