Richard Hope Hillary RAFVR (1919 - 1943)

Born 20 Apr 1919 in St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Died 8 Jan 1943 at age 23 in Berwickshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Greg Scannell [send private message]

Biography

Richard Hillary RAFVR is Notable.

Richard Hillary RAFVR was born in New South Wales, Australia

Richard Hope Hillary was born on 20 April 1919 at St Leonards, New South Wales, the son of Michael James Hillary DSO OBE and Edwyna Mary Evelina (Hope) Hillary^[1]

Attended Trinity College Oxford and joined RAFVR. He was a pilot during the Battle of Britain WWII and was shot down and badly injured on 3/9/1940. He later returned to flying as a light bomber pilot and died in a crash while on a night training exercise.

He is the author of the book "The Last Enemy" which was about his experiences in the Battle of Britain.

Richard, with his severe burns came under the care of Dr Archibald McIndoe and in doing so became a "Guinea Pig" at the very start of plastic surgery

The Wikipedia entry is a very good biography of his later life - and death with many pictures.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 11 Sept 2023), index entry for RICHARD H HILLARY; Father's Given Names: MICHAEL, Mother's Given Names: EDWYNA M; District: ST LEONARDS; Registration Number: 21592/1919

• https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2430889/RICHARD%20HOPE%20HILLARY/
• https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/44069
• https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/greenlaw/memorial/index.html
• https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tTP1TewLDCsNDJg9OIvykzOSCxKUcjIzMlJLKoEAHZnCRA&q=richard+hillary&rlz=1C1NHXL_en-GBAU939AU939&oq=richard+hillary&aqs=chrome.1.69i59j46l2j0j69i61l2j69i60l2.32530j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
• Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hillary