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Captain John Ellis Langford Hunter DFC, DSC (31 January 1897 – 18 June 1971) was a British World War I flying ace credited with 13 confirmed aerial victories.
Biography
Early life
Hunter was born in Hackney, London, the only son of Ellis Hunter, and was educated at Bedford Modern School.
Aerial service
He entered the Royal Naval Air Service as a probationary flight officer (temporary), appointed to HMS President, on 1 October 1916, and after completing his training was commissioned as a flight sub-lieutenant on 13 June 1917.
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, for which he was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Hunter was promoted to flight lieutenant on 31 December 1917. His next victory came on 21 March 1918 when he destroyed a Pfalz D.III off Middelkerke, and he destroyed another on the 26th. 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. 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 13. He suffered a leg wound in the process, but the action won him the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Aerial victory list
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 September 1917 @ 1650 hours | Sopwith Camel serial no. B3879 | Reconnaissance craft | Driven down out of control | 1 mile southwest of Gistel, Belgium | Victory shared with another RNAS pilot |
| 2 | 22 September 1917 @ 0815 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Seaplane | Destroyed | 22 miles northeast of Ostend, Belgium | Victory shared with two other RNAS pilots |
| 3 | 22 September 1917 @ 0815 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Seaplane | Destroyed | 22 miles northeast of Ostend, Belgium | |
| 4 | 21 March 1918 @ 0825 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Pfalz D.III fighter | Destroyed | 5 miles off Middelkerke, Belgium | |
| 5 | 26 March 1918 @ 1700 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Pfalz D.III fighter | Destroyed | 1 1/2 miles northeast of Dixmude, Belgium | |
| 6 | 2 May 1918 @ 1815 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Rumpler reconnaissance craft | Driven down out of control | South of Dixmude, Belgium | |
| 7 | 20 May 1918 @ 1020 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Seaplane | Forced to land; destroyed | Northeast of Ostend, Belgium | |
| 8 | 30 June 1918 @ 1445 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3895 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Driven down out of control | Blankenberge, Belgium | Not listed in Shores, et al. |
| 9 | 31 July 1918 @ 1930 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3894 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Destroyed | Roulers, Belgium | |
| 10 | 31 July 1918 @ 1930 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3894 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Destroyed | Roulers, Belgium | |
| 11 | 12 August 1918 @ 1055 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3894 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Destroyed by fire | Blankenberge, Belgium | |
| 12 | 12 August 1918 @ 1055 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3894 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Destroyed | Blankenberge, Belgium | |
| 13 | 12 August 1918 @ 1055 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3894 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Driven down out of control | Blankenberge, Belgium |
Postwar career
Hunter was confirmed in the rank of captain on 21 January 1919, but left the RAF six months later, being transferred to the unemployed list, on 2 July.
Ellis died in South Africa in 1971, and is buried in the cemetery at Somerset West, Western Cape.
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."
- 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."