Richard Hillary
Encyclopedia
Flight Lieutenant
Richard Hope Hillary (born 20 April 1919 in Sydney
, Australia
- died 8 January 1943 near Greenlaw
, Berwickshire
, Scotland
) was a Battle of Britain
pilot who died during World War II
. He is best known for his book The Last Enemy, based upon his experiences during the Battle of Britain.
and Trinity College, Oxford
. Whilst at Oxford, he was secretary of the Oxford University Boat Club
and president of the Rugby Club
. He rowed in the successful Trinity College VIII of 1938. He joined the Oxford University Air Squadron
and RAFVR in 1939.
at RAF Hornchurch
in 1940.
Richard Hillary writes about his first experience in a Supermarine Spitfire
in The Last Enemy:
On 3 September 1940, assigned to 603 Squadron, he had made his fifth "kill" when he was shot down by a Messerschmitt Bf 109
flown by Hauptmann Helmut Bode of II./JG 26
Unable to quickly escape from his burning aircraft, he suffered extensive burns to his face and hands, but did eventually escape the aircraft and bailed out into the North Sea where he was rescued by the Margate
lifeboat
.
Hillary is one of the best known of McIndoe's "Guinea Pig Club
", having endured three months of painful surgery
in an attempt to fully repair the damage to his hands and face in order to return to combat duty.
after recovering from his injuries, and died with his radio operator-observer Wilfred Fison when he crashed his Bristol Blenheim
on 8 January 1943 during a night training flight, with the aircraft coming to rest on Crunklaw Farm. It has been alleged that one of the major reasons for this crash was that Hillary was not in fact physically able to fully control his aircraft due to the burn damage to his hands not being repaired to the level necessary for the RAF to legitimately return him to active service.
near Greenlaw
, Berwickshire
.
Hillary's love affair with Mary Booker which lasted from December 1941 until his death was the subject of Michael Burn's book Richard & Mary (1988)
He is today remembered in his alma mater
of Trinity College, Oxford
, by an annual literature prize, a portrait outside the college library, and an annual lecture in his honour. This lecture is delivered in the Gulbenkian Lecture Theatre in the English Faculty, Oxford. It has been delivered by Ian McEwan
, Philip Pullman
, Julian Barnes
, Mark Haddon
, Jeanette Winterson
, Sebastian Faulks
and Howard Jacobson
. The most recent lecture, by playwright Tom Stoppard
was presented in the Sheldonian Theatre
on the 13th of May, 2011.
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Richard Hope Hillary (born 20 April 1919 in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- died 8 January 1943 near Greenlaw
Greenlaw
Greenlaw is a small town situated in the foothills of the Lammermuir Hills on Blackadder Water at the junction of the A697 and the A6105 in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Greenlaw was first made the county town of Berwickshire in 1596, and was the first town to take on this role since the...
, Berwickshire
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) was a Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
pilot who died during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He is best known for his book The Last Enemy, based upon his experiences during the Battle of Britain.
Early life
Hillary was the son of an Australian government official and was sent to England to be educated at Shrewsbury SchoolShrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
and Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
. Whilst at Oxford, he was secretary of the Oxford University Boat Club
Oxford University Boat Club
The Oxford University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century....
and president of the Rugby Club
Oxford University RFC
The Oxford University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Oxford. The club contests The Varsity Match every year against Cambridge University at Twickenham.-History:...
. He rowed in the successful Trinity College VIII of 1938. He joined the Oxford University Air Squadron
University Air Squadron
University Air Squadrons are training units of the Royal Air Force which primarily provide basic flying training, force development and adventurous training to undergraduate students at British universities...
and RAFVR in 1939.
RAF career
Hillary was called-up to the Royal Air Force in October 1939 and joined No. 603 Squadron RAFNo. 603 Squadron RAF
No. 603 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The primary role of 603 Squadron, since reforming on 1 October 1999, has been as a Survive to Operate squadron, as well as providing Force Protection.-Formation and early years:No...
at RAF Hornchurch
RAF Hornchurch
RAF Hornchurch was an airfield in the south of Hornchurch in what is now the London Borough of Havering. Known as Sutton's Farm during the First World War, it occupied of the farm of the same name and was situated east north-east of Charing Cross...
in 1940.
Richard Hillary writes about his first experience in a Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
in The Last Enemy:
- The Spitfires stood in two lines outside, 'A' Flight pilots' room. The dull grey-brown of the camouflage could not conceal the clear-cut beauty, the wicked simplicity of their lines. I hooked up my parachute and climbed awkwardly into the low cockpit. I noticed how small was my field of vision. Kilmartin swung himself on to a wing and started to run through the instruments. I was conscious of his voice, but heard nothing of what he said. I was to fly a Spitfire. It was what I had most wanted through all the long dreary months of training. If I could fly a Spitfire, it would be worth it. Well, I was about to achieve my ambition and felt nothing. I was numb, neither exhilarated nor scared. I noticed the white enamel undercarriage handle. "Like a lavatory plug," I thought.
- Kilmartin had said, "See if you can make her talk." That meant the whole bag of tricks, and I wanted ample room for mistakes and possible blacking-out. With one or two very sharp movements on the stick I blacked myself out for a few seconds, but the machine was sweeter to handle than any other that I had flown. I put it through every manoeuvre that I knew of and it responded beautifully. I ended with two flick rolls and turned back for home. I was filled with a sudden exhilarating confidence. I could fly a Spitfire; in any position I was its master. It remained to be seen whether I could fight in one.
On 3 September 1940, assigned to 603 Squadron, he had made his fifth "kill" when he was shot down by a Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
flown by Hauptmann Helmut Bode of II./JG 26
- I was peering anxiously ahead, for the controller had given us warning of at least fifty enemy fighters approaching very high. When we did first sight them, nobody shouted, as I think we all saw them at the same moment. They must have been 500 to 1000 feet above us and coming straight on like a swarm of locusts. The next moment we were in among them and it was each man for himself. As soon as they saw us they spread out and dived, and the next ten minutes was a blur of twisting machines and tracer bullets. One Messerschmitt went down in a sheet of flame on my right, and a Spitfire hurtled past in a half-roll; I was leaving and turning in a desperate attempt to gain height, with the machine practically hanging on the airscrew.
- Then, just below me and to my left, I saw what I had been praying for - a Messerschmitt climbing and away from the sun. I closed in to 200 yards, and from slightly to one side gave him a two-second burst: fabric ripped off the wing and black smoke poured from the engine, but he did not go down. Like a fool, I did not break away, but put in another three-second burst. Red flames shot upwards and he spiralled out of sight. At that moment, I felt a terrific explosion which knocked the control stick from my hand, and the whole machine quivered like a stricken animal. In a second, the cockpit was a mass of flames: instinctively, I reached up to open the hood. It would not move. I tore off my straps and managed to force it back; but this took time, and when I dropped back into the seat and reached for the stick in an effort to turn the plane on its back, the heat was so intense that I could feel myself going. I remember a second of sharp agony, remember thinking "So this is it!" and putting both hands to my eyes. Then I passed out.
Unable to quickly escape from his burning aircraft, he suffered extensive burns to his face and hands, but did eventually escape the aircraft and bailed out into the North Sea where he was rescued by the Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
lifeboat
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
.
- Gradually I realized what had happened. My face and hands had been scrubbed and then sprayed with tannic acidTannic acidTannic acid is a specific commercial form of tannin, a type of polyphenol. Its weak acidity is due to the numerous phenol groups in the structure...
. My arms were propped up in front of me, the fingers extended like witches' claws, and my body was hung loosely on straps just clear of the bed.
- Shortly after my arrival in East Grinstead, the Air Force plastic surgeon, A.H. McIndoeArchibald McIndoeSir Archibald McIndoe CBE FRCS was a pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon who worked for the Royal Air Force during World War II. He greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew.-Background:...
, had come to see me. Of medium height, he was thick set and the line of his jaw was square. Behind his horn-rimmed spectacles a pair of tired, friendly eyes regarded me speculatively.
- "Well," he said, "you certainly made a thorough job of it, didn't you?" He started to undo the dressings on my hands and I noticed his fingers - blunt, captive, incisive. By now all the tannic had been removed from my face and hands. He took a scalpel and tapped lightly on something white showing through the red granulating knuckle of my right fore-finger. "Four new eyelids, I'm afraid, but you are not ready for them yet. I want all this skin to soften up a lot first."
- The time when the dressings were taken down I looked exactly like an orang-utan. McIndoe had pitched out two semi-circular ledges of skin under my eyes to allow for contraction of the new lids. What was not absorbed was to be sliced off when I came in for my next operation, a new upper lip.
Hillary is one of the best known of McIndoe's "Guinea Pig Club
Guinea Pig Club
The Guinea Pig Club was formed of patients of Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex who underwent reconstructive plastic surgery during World War II, generally after receiving burn injuries in aircraft....
", having endured three months of painful surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
in an attempt to fully repair the damage to his hands and face in order to return to combat duty.
Return to flight, and death
Hillary managed to bully himself back into a flying position even though, it was noted in the officers' mess, that he could not even handle a knife and fork. Hillary returned to service with 54 Operational Training Unit at RAF CharterhallRAF Charterhall
RAF Charterhall is a former RAF station, beside the B6460 near the village of Greenlaw in Berwickshire, Scotland.Opened – 1942, Closed – 1946Base of No...
after recovering from his injuries, and died with his radio operator-observer Wilfred Fison when he crashed his Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
on 8 January 1943 during a night training flight, with the aircraft coming to rest on Crunklaw Farm. It has been alleged that one of the major reasons for this crash was that Hillary was not in fact physically able to fully control his aircraft due to the burn damage to his hands not being repaired to the level necessary for the RAF to legitimately return him to active service.
Memorial
In 2001 a memorial to Hillary was unveiled at the site of the former RAF CharterhallRAF Charterhall
RAF Charterhall is a former RAF station, beside the B6460 near the village of Greenlaw in Berwickshire, Scotland.Opened – 1942, Closed – 1946Base of No...
near Greenlaw
Greenlaw
Greenlaw is a small town situated in the foothills of the Lammermuir Hills on Blackadder Water at the junction of the A697 and the A6105 in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Greenlaw was first made the county town of Berwickshire in 1596, and was the first town to take on this role since the...
, Berwickshire
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
.
Hillary's love affair with Mary Booker which lasted from December 1941 until his death was the subject of Michael Burn's book Richard & Mary (1988)
He is today remembered in his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
, by an annual literature prize, a portrait outside the college library, and an annual lecture in his honour. This lecture is delivered in the Gulbenkian Lecture Theatre in the English Faculty, Oxford. It has been delivered by Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan
Ian Russell McEwan CBE, FRSA, FRSL is a British novelist and screenwriter, and one of Britain's most highly regarded writers. In 2008, The Times named him among their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945"....
, Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
, Julian Barnes
Julian Barnes
Julian Patrick Barnes is a contemporary English writer, and winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize, for his book The Sense of an Ending...
, Mark Haddon
Mark Haddon
Mark Haddon is an English novelist and poet, best known for his 2003 novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.- Life and work :...
, Jeanette Winterson
Jeanette Winterson
Jeanette Winterson OBE is a British novelist.-Early years:Winterson was born in Manchester and adopted on 21 January 1960. She was raised in Accrington, Lancashire, by Constance and John William Winterson...
, Sebastian Faulks
Sebastian Faulks
-Early life:Faulks was born on 20 April 1953 in Donnington, Berkshire to Peter Faulks and Pamela . Edward Faulks, Baron Faulks, is his older brother. He was educated at Elstree School, Reading and went on to Wellington College, Berkshire...
and Howard Jacobson
Howard Jacobson
Howard Jacobson is a Man Booker Prize-winning British Jewish author and journalist. He is best known for writing comic novels that often revolve around the dilemmas of British Jewish characters.-Background:...
. The most recent lecture, by playwright Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
was presented in the Sheldonian Theatre
Sheldonian Theatre
The Sheldonian Theatre, located in Oxford, England, was built from 1664 to 1668 after a design by Christopher Wren for the University of Oxford. The building is named after Gilbert Sheldon, chancellor of the university at the time and the project's main financial backer...
on the 13th of May, 2011.
Works
- Richard H. Hillary, The Last Enemy ISBN 0-88751-103-1 (1942), German Version: Der letzte Feind. Zürich 1942
Further reading
- Lovat Dickson, Richard Hillary (1950)
- Charles Higham and Roy Moseley, Princess Merle: The Romantic Life of Merle Oberon ISBN 0698112318 Pub: Coward-McCann, New York (1983)
- Michael Burn, Mary and Richard: the story of Richard Hillary and Mary Booker ISBN 0233982809 Pub: Deutsch, (1988)
- Sebastian Faulks, The Fatal Englishman: Three Short Lives: Christopher Wood, Richard Hillary, Jeremy Wolfenden ISBN 0-375-72744-2 (1996)
- David Ross, Richard Hillary: The Definitive Biography of a Battle of Britain Fighter Pilot and Author of The Last Enemy ISBN 1-904010-03-2 (2004)