John E. L. Hunter

John E. L. Hunter
Birth name John Ellis Langford Hunter
Born (1897-01-31)31 January 1897
Hackney, London, England
Died 18 June 1971(1971-06-18) (aged 74)
South Africa
Buried at Somerset West, Western Cape, South Africa
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Royal Air Force
Years of service 1916–1919
Rank Captain
Unit No. 4 Squadron RNAS/No. 204 Squadron RAF
Awards Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross

Captain John Ellis Langford Hunter DFC, DSC (31 January 1897 – 18 June 1971) was a British World War I flying ace credited with 12 confirmed aerial victories.[1][note 1]

Biography

Hunter was born in Hackney, London, the only son of Ellis Hunter,[3] and was educated at Bedford Modern School.[4]

He entered the Royal Naval Air Service as a probationary flight officer (temporary), appointed to HMS President, on 1 October 1916,[5] and after completing his training was commissioned as a flight sub-lieutenant on 13 June 1917.[6]

Hunter joined No. 4 Squadron, flying a Sopwith Camel, in July. On 3 September, he and Flight Sub-Lieutenant K. V. Turney drove down a German observation plane out of control. On the 22nd, he shared one of his two victories with Turney when they shot down two seaplanes northeast of Ostend,[1][2] for which he was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Hunter was promoted to flight lieutenant on 31 December 1917.[7] His next victory came on 21 March 1918 when he destroyed a Pfalz D.III off Middelkerke, and he destroyed another on the 26th.[1][2] Soon after, on 1 April, the Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) were merged to form the Royal Air Force, and No. 4 Naval Squadron was renamed No. 204 Squadron RAF.

On 16 July 1918 Hunter was appointed a temporary captain while serving as a flight commander.[8] He continued to score sporadically until 12 August, when he flamed one Fokker D.VII, destroyed another, and drove a third down out of control, to bring his total to 12. He suffered a leg wound in the process, but the action won him the Distinguished Flying Cross. His final tally was eight[note 2] destroyed, four brought down out of control.[1]

Hunter was confirmed in the rank of captain on 21 January 1919,[9] but left the RAF six months later, being transferred to the unemployed list, on 2 July.[10]

Ellis died in South Africa in 1971, and is buried in the cemetery at Somerset West, Western Cape.[11]

Awards and citations

Distinguished Service Cross
Flight Sub-Lieutenant John Ellis Langford Hunter, R.N.A.S.
"In recognition of his services with a Wing of the R.N.A.S. at Dunkirk between July and September, 1917, during which time he has carried out continuous work on offensive patrols. On 22 September 1917, he destroyed two enemy aircraft which were attempting to interfere with our spotting machines."[12]
Distinguished Flying Cross
Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) John Ellis Langford Hunter, D.S.C. (Sea Patrol).
"A fine fighting pilot and flight leader. On 12 September, whilst leading his formation on escort duty, he engaged nine Fokker biplanes. He destroyed two and drove a third down out of control. In this combat he was severely wounded in the leg."[13]

Notes

  1. ↑ The Aerodrome site lists 13 victories.[2]
  2. ↑ Or possibly nine.[2]

References

Citations
  1. 1 2 3 4 Shores et.al. (1990)
  2. 1 2 3 4 "John Ellis Langford Hunter". The Aerodrome. 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  3. ↑ "To be Married". Flight X (510): 1123. 3 October 1918. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  4. ↑ Bedford Modern School (1931). War Honours Won by Old Boys. Bedford: H.W. Robinson.
  5. ↑ "Royal Naval Air Service". Flight VIII (406): 850. 5 October 1916. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 30168. p. 6709. 6 July 1917.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30451. p. 89. 28 December 1917.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 30825. p. 9117. 2 August 1918.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 31136. p. 1079. 21 January 1919.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 31478. p. 9591. 29 July 1919.
  11. ↑ Griffiths, Alta (2007). "Hunter, John Ellis Langford 1897-1971 & Gwendolen Mary Cleaton -1974". Genealogical Society of South Africa. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  12. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30408. pp. 12548–12549. 27 November 1917.
  13. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30989. p. 12967. 1 November 1918.
Bibliography
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