LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant George Ivor HILL-JONES
Service No: 440569
Born: Ipswich QLD, 2 August 1925
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 January 1944
Unit: No. 31 Squadron
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 31 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft A8-166), off Morotai, 28 July 1945, Aged 19 Years
Buried: Ambon War Cemetery, Indonesia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Clement Ivor and Gladys Hill-Jones, of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Ipswich QLD
Remembered: Panel 102, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1145 hours on 28 July 1945, Beaufighter A8-166 crashed at Tagalaja Island, near Morotai and all on board were killed. The aircraft crashed while carrying out bombing and gunnery practice. It was believed that the cause of the crash was a high speed stall while recovering from a dive. In 1947 the wreck of the aircraft and remains of those killed were found.
The crew members of A8-166 were:
Craftsman John Arthur Bishop (NX83170) (Army) (Supernumerary)
Flight Sergeant George Ivor Hill-Jones (440569) (Navigator Wireless)
Flight Sergeant Clarence Gordon Ireland (433488) (Pilot)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/17/1336; A9845, 57
Bibliography:
Parnell, N.M. (Neville M.) Whispering Death: A history of the RAAF’s Beaufighter Squadrons, AH & AW Reed, Terry Hills NSW, 1980
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Beaufort, Beaufighter and Mosquito in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1990