Hunter, Russell John
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Russell John |
Surname | Hunter |
Gender | M |
Age | 25 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 22-06-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of John Russell Hunter and Edna Jessie Hunter (née Vance), of woodstock, Ontario, canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Short Stirling III |
Serial Number | BK815 |
Markings | LS-V |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Belgium |
Burial/Memorial Place | Schoonselhof Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Joint grave II. F. 2. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 186 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/16516 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 15 (XV) |
Trade | WOp/AG |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Church of St. John, Beck Row, Suffolk |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Tablet on rear external wall of Church |
Memorial Text | In remembrance of all who served at RAF Mildenhall and associated aerodromes in the cause of freedom, 1939-1945 |
Miscellaneous Information
Russell was born on 8 November 1917 at Woodstock, Ontario. His parents were both born in Ontario, his father at Lyle and his mother at Woodstock. The schools he attended were Aberdeen Public 1923-1931, Central Collegiate 1931-1932 and H.B. Beal Tecnical and Commercial High School (all in London, Ontario). His sport interests were golf, tennis, swimming and baseball and his hobby was making model aircraft. Russell worked at the Canada Culvert Co, as a mechanic and machine hand 1934-1936. From 1936 he was mostly unemployed or taking on odd jobs until 1939 when he worked for the Imperial Cone Co. (an ice cream cone dispenser manufacturer) as a machine operator. |
He then enlisted on 2 July 1940 and after initial training embarked for the U.K. where he arrived at 3PRC on 7 June 1941. From there he went to 12 OTU on 14 June 1941, 4 B.A.T.F 4 September 1941, 15 Squadron 22 June 1942. Sadly Russell lost his life on 22 June 1943, exactly one year after arriving at 15 Squadron. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/203/60 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/203/59 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 21-06-1943 |
End Date | 22-06-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Mildenhall |
Day/Night Raid | Night (80% moon) |
Operation | Krefeld. 705 aircraft, 44 losses (6.2%) with night-fighters counting for most of the losses (the night was moonlit). PFF marking was near-perfect (using Oboe). A large fire in the centre of Krefeld raged unchecked for many hours. Over 5500 houses destroyed, 1056 people killed and 72000 bombed out of their homes. |
Reason for Loss | Believed to have been shot down by flak and crashed near Melsele, Belgium |