LEST WE FORGET
Second Lieutenant Thomas HOSKING
Service No: 1999
Born: London England, November 1893
Enlisted in the Army: 29 December 1914
Unit: No. 2 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Died: Air Operations, France, 28 March 1918, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: No additional information
Place of Association: St Kilda VIC
Remembered: Arras Flying Services Memorial, Arras, Nord Pas de Calais, France
Remembered: Panel 188, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
During the five days, March 21st-25th, the enemy claimed to have shot down ninety-three Allied machines and six balloons. During the same period the British pilots alone destroyed or captured
137 German machines, drove down eighty-three more out of control, and burned three balloons. Many of the machines on each side were shot down from the ground while flying low. There was not an aeroplane in the Australian scouting squadrons which was not riddled with bullets; yet, during this hot period of fighting low near the ground against infantry, they lost only two pilots-Lieutenants T. Hosking (1) killed, and Oscar Thomas Flight (2), shot down and taken prisoner.
(1) SE5a aircraft A8913
(2) SE5a aircraft B102
Extract from Cutlack, F.M. (Frederic Morley) The Australian Flying Corps in the Western and Eastern Theatres of War 1914-8, Angus and Robertson Ltd Sydney, 1941 – Pages 238-9
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record B2455, HOSKING T SECOND LIEUTENANT/ 1999
National Archives UK RAF Casualty Book AIR 1/969 page 123, 138229
Bibliography:
Bennett, J. (John William) Highest Traditions: the history of No. 2 Squadron RAAF, Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995