HURTON, Roderick Harold
J/9854
Flying Officer (Pilot)
Roderick Harold HURTON
Royal Canadian Air Force, 268 Squadron RAF
Died on Active Service on 24th May 1943
Age 23
"For ever and ever, be strong"
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Born on 2nd April 1920, the son of Roderick George and Nellie Hurton, of Glenboro, Manitoba, Canada. F/O Hurton had only just arrived at 268 Squadron at RAF Snailwell on May 4th from 41 Operational Training Unit (Army Co-operation Command and Tactical Reconnaisance OTU). A programme of air firing practice had to be cancelled due to bad weather and formation flying and low level cross country navigation was substituted. F/O Hill (AM147Y),F/O Pease (AP256U), F/O Vogel RCAF and F/O Hurton RCAF (AM142X) were conducting a low flying exercise. F/O Hurton flying North American Mustang Mk 1A (AM142X) NM-? flew into trees near Monks Lodge, Great Maplestead, Essex and was killed instantly. F/O Pease recalled the day had low level cloud and thought F/O Hurton may have misjudged his height, given the light conditions below cloud base and his relative inexperience in low flying in less than optimal visual flight conditions. (this data was provided by 268 Sqdn historian Colin Ford) |
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