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Henry Hope Hunt |
Surname |
Christian Names |
Service Number |
Rank |
Regiment |
Hunt |
Henry Hope |
|
IILt |
1 Sqn, RAF |
Born |
Age |
Enlisted at |
Address |
Chippenham |
24 |
|
|
Date of Death |
Where killed |
Cause of Death |
26/10/1918 |
Somme |
Killed |
Cemetery |
Plot |
Country |
Tincourt New British Cemetery |
VII,A,2 |
France |
Next of Kin |
Next of kin address |
Town |
Henry Hope and Sarah Ann Hunt (Parents) |
67 Park Lane |
Chippenham |
Notes |
1 Sqn were flying SE5A's at the time of death, based at Senlis but
moved to Bouvincourt on 16 Oct 1918. SE 5A B7909
10 (County of London) Btn (Hackney) attached to RAF. Previously 5257
Rifleman and 392018 L/Cpl 9th London Regt
As his name was the same as his father, he was known locally as Tom.
Educated at St Pauls and Chippenham Secondary school. The school memorial
records him as Tommy.
Death of Lt HH Hunt
Mr HH Hunt assistant master of S Paul’s School received a telegram form
the Air Ministry that his son Lt Henry Hope Hunt was missing on the 26th
Oct; on the following day came a second telegram that he was killed. The
news of the death of this promising young officer was received with deep
regret and Mr and Mrs Hunt have had many expressions of sympathy in their
sorrow. The deceased who was the elder son was 24 years of age. He was
educated at St Paul’s and the secondary school and before leaving the
latter he passed the Oxford Local Examination. As he intended to enter the
scholastic profession he served for 12 months as a student teacher under
Mr Hinton at Ivy Lane School. At the end of the year he proceeded to St
John's Training College, Battersea but when war was declared and his
country appealed for men he laid aside his studies and responded to the
call joining the Queen Victoria Rifles, In a competitive examination he
gained first place being promoted to the position of chief NCO of the
Intelligence Staff at Brigade headquarters. After several months of this
work he went on active service to France and being wounded in the battle
of Arras he was recommended on the field for a commission. He returned to
England and joined the Officers' Cadet Battalion at Pirbright and finished
his course of training at Reading. Having obtained his commission he was
attached to the 10th London Regt and subsequently, at his request, he
transferred to the Royal Air Force and qualified as a pilot at Upavon. He
went to France six months ago and was attached to the First Squadron. On
the 25th October Mr Hunt recovered a letter from him in which he stated 'I
am quite safe. You will probably read in casualty list that I am missing
since 23rd. After spending one day and part of another miles from anywhere
with my machine, I returned to the aerodrome on the 25th'.He went on duty
the next morning and the next that was heard of him was that he was
killed. Mr Hunt received the following letter from the Major of his
Squadron: - "I very much regret that it is my sad duty to inform you of
very bad news. I regret to say that your son, Lt HH Hunt of this squadron
was killed in an aeroplane accident. The squadron moved from one aerodrome
to another on the 26th of this month and your son failed to arrive at the
new aerodrome. The formation with which he was flying flew into a bank of
fog and was forced to fly very close to the ground. The leader of the
formation missed your son about this time and nothing was heard of him
till today. We made exhaustive enquiries and searched the ground near
where he was last but could find not trace of him and of course we all
hoped that he lost himself and had landed a long way away and had been
unable to get through on the telephone. We finally heard this morning that
his machine had crashed shortly after it was last seen by the leader of
the formation, and the only consolation that I can offer you is that your
son must have been killed outright was consequently spared any pain or
suffering. We are making arrangements for the funeral which will take
place this afternoon and I need hardly say that any officers who are not
on duty will be attending. I was the last man to speak to your son before
his death as I gave him instructions to be carried out after arrival at
the new aerodrome. We all miss your son very much, although he had been
with us for such a short time he seemed very promising and I am sure would
have done well had he been spared. On behalf of the whole squadron I wish
to offer our deepest sympathies in your irreplaceable loss. It seems
particularly hard that your son should be taken after the long period he
served in France previously."
The deceased younger brother who took part in the series of engagements
leading to the capture of St Quentin has received and appointment on the
headquarters staff and is now at home on leave. At St Paul's evening
service on Sunday, the Rector mentioned the name of Lt Hunt among others
belonging to the parish who had made the great sacrifice and at the close
the hymn "Abide with me" was sung. Devizes
and Wilts Gazette 7/11/8
According to Trevor Henshaw in his book "The Sky Their Battlefield", Hunt
was on a travelling flight and seen around 10-50am east of Peronne. That day
the unit was on the move from Senlis to Bouvincourt.
1 Sqn had been carrying out bomber escort duties through September and
October, protecting the vulnerable DH9s of 98 and 107 Squadrons.
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Memorials Commemorated on: |
Chippenham Town War Memorial |
Yes |
St Paul’s Church |
|
St Andrew’s Church |
|
Liberal Club |
|
Hardenhuish Church |
|
Causeway Methodist
Church |
|
Pewsham Street |
|
Boys School |
Yes |
Congregation Church |
|
Last updated -
14/01/2011
If you have any more details about this person, please
contact me and I will update the page.
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