Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Extract from ‘In Remembrance of Lives Well Lived’ a family history prepared by Anne June 2020 (provided by Michael Johnson)

“On their marriage certificate, December 7, 1940, Ernest Charles Hutton’s (ECH) place of birth was given as Fullarton, SA, age 22, and his residence as RAAF Training School, Ballarat, Vic, near which the newlyweds spent a week or so as part of their honeymoon and over Christmas as well as another in that area in January,1941.

From there, after brief home leave in Adelaide and Hamley Bridge around ANZAC day, 1941, Nig travelled with others in his group, on train and bus via Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane & Coffs Harbour, to do further training at the Airforce base at Evans Head, NSW – arriving there in early May.

At that time, ECH thought that there were about 100 aircraft at the base. The courses in navigation proved both challenging and absorbing but the experience of flying and the opportunity to learn through gunnery practice more of the handling of ammunition proved more interesting than Morse code.

Before the 4-week course there progressed much further, ECH requested a move from signals training, which was not proving straightforward for him, to allow focus on target practice and flying.

…

He had pleasure in reporting to family ( 25 May letter to his mother) that he had scored 177 out of 240 in an exam, coming 43rd out of 82 who were apparently regarded as the brightest group to have left training in Ballarat.

This letter also spoke of home leave having been brought forward so that he would leave Evans Head on May 31, 1941, to arrive in Adelaide on June 3, very much hoping to be able to take the train, via Mallala, to Hamley, to have time there with all the family, and particularly to support Steve in the business.

Just after those crowded days, Dorothy, who was then living at 95 Palmer Place, North Adelaide while doing kindergarten teacher training, recalls visiting her brother at nearby St Mark’s College where many of the troops were temporarily billeted.

Both my mother and Dorothy had memories of a final farewell at Adelaide Railway station. Jean gratefully recalled that, after what can only have been an exceptionally difficult farewell at the station, she turned around, after the train had left, to see, quietly waiting, at the back of the crowd, her mother ( Flo Pitt, then aged 49) , who had driven down to the city from Mallala, to bring her pregnant daughter safely home. Jean did not mention that the Nig’s parents were also there at the railway station, but Dorothy did.

The next letters to Hutton family from ECH were written at sea, before disembarkation in Vancouver for transition by Canadian Pacific Railways through Canada. Mention is made of cabling Jean information to pass on to his parents and siblings.

As before, ECH’s letters from his 1940 travels, across the ocean into the northern hemisphere described the fascinating, dramatic changes in rural landscape and expressed appreciation of the excellent service provided on both the first ship and the Canadian trains in July & early August, by which time he was travelling on a P & O liner, accompanied by destroyers, heading directly across to England, after previous dramatic excitement with icebergs caused return to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and sudden changes to schedules!

Letters from Bournemouth, southern England, over the following weeks mention the 10-week training course to be commenced before a move to Oxfordshire and Lincolnshire, where he would be joining his squadron, adjusting to news of night flying and hearing unwelcome news of dangerous escapades into Europe, and of Japan while he was often witnessing tragic losses of aircraft and taking part in funeral cartages.

In a letter of late August, 1941, Nig asks his mother to be sure to visit Jean while she is in hospital and, again, in a letter a few weeks later to Steve asks that he stays in touch with Jean, while in November’s final letters to his two sisters appreciation is expressed for their efforts to maintain contact with Jean. Late September report to his mother includes the news of a 16th plane at the base being written off since his arrival there – but “luckily with few fatalities.” The only postal address given from UK was c/o SA House, Marble Arch, London.

On November 2nd Nig wrote to Helen of his delight in finally receiving a cable sent on 15 Sept, stating that he had become the father of a girl!

…

(Meanwhile in SA, there was the announcement in both the Advertiser, 19 September= Jean’s 21st birthday, and the “Chronicle” of 25 September, 1941:

Hutton (née Pitt) Jean, Mallala: On Sept 15 at the Northern Hospital, Prospect, to Jean, wife of Sgt Ernest C Hutton, RAAF, abroad, a bonny daughter (Anne Catherine). Thanking Dr R Boucaut and hospital staff.”- wording that sounds rather like a proud grandparent’s!)

In November, Nig was on leave in London, following night raids and cross- country flights, and jabs, so was hoping for a good break. In earlier opportunities for short leave he had commented on the warm hospitality which English families had kindly offered troops from overseas. Thanks to valuable advice from SA House he was able to get a bed at the Victoria League Club, near Marble Arch before further solo, winter sightseeing.

The final inclusion in our collection of Nig’s treasured letters, which his mother and sisters all saved and which have allowed us the singularly wonderful opportunity for access, was written from Lincolnshire on November 30, 1941 after Nig’s death, by his Australian friend, Tom Simpson from Tasmania, they’d started training together at Oxfordshire.

Thanks to the kindness of Geoff and his son, Dorothy enabled our access to these precious letters.

From The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1931 - 1954) Monday 8 December 1941, p 12

“HUTTON. - On November 24, at Huttonbridge, Eng. (result of plane accident), Sgt Air-Gunner, Ernest Charles Hutton, dearly loved husband of Jean (née Pitt), and dear daddy of baby Anne Catherine. Aged 23 years. Until we meet again.”

Tragically distressed by the news of the fatal air crash 24 November,1941, which took the lives of 8 young men, Jean had destroyed all the letters she had received. This emotional response, of despair, she lived to regret later in life.

Over the years, various family members have visited the little cemetery at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, where the War Graves Commission cares for the site at which Nig, the only Australian of that crew, and his 7 companions in the fatal Manchester crash were buried. (see photo below)

Official photos of the funeral ceremony had been sent to SA after which, for some years, Jean maintained a fond correspondence with the English widow of the pilot of the Manchester R 5797 (of No 97 Squadron). Mrs H T Hill, also a young mother.

Sergeant Ernest Charles Hutton 407432 was killed when Manchester R5792 of 97SQN RAF - crashed near Hutton Bridge Aerodrome in Lincolnshire, England

Crew: Hill, Henry Thomas (Flying Officer) 82677 RAF / Smith, Arthur Carriss (Flight Sergeant) 745479 RAF / Newton, John (Sergeant) 994648 RAF / Martin, Francis Edward (Sergeant) 1198837 RAF / Holt, Fred (Sergeant) 1007372 RAF / Few, Jesse (Sergeant) 614026 RAF