Date of birth:

1922 (Batu/Galaya, Malaya)

Service number:

1192265

Nationality:

British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Paul Hilton joined the RAF in September 1940. At that time his parents were still living in the Far East. When the Japanese invaded Malaya in 1941, his father was captured and spent the war in Changi Jail. His mother, who had been on the last boat out of Singapore died in a camp in Palembang of malnutrition and tropical disases after the ship had been bombed and sunk off the coast of Sumatra.
Hilton joined No. 58 Squadron and after a conversion was posted to No. 35 Squadron. On 2/3 June 1942 he flew with Halifax R9444 TL-D on a bombing raid to Essen but had to give the order to bale out after the aircraft was hit by Ju-88 on the return flight. Hilton gave his parachute to Sergeant Prout who had pulled his parachute rip-cord by mistake in the aircraft. Therefore he crashlanded the Halifax alone in St. Leone, near Brecht, Belgium where he was captured. From Dulag Luft he was taken to Stalag Luft III at Sagan. In 1943 he was taken to Luft 6 in East Prussia and then Stalag 357.
He was released in April 1945.
In September he joined De Havilland on a apprenticeship and in 1955 joined the Austin Aircraft Company and then in 1959 established his own engineering Loboratory Company.

Promtoions:
? Sergeant
? Warrant Officer

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• - Page 1577 | Supplement 37515, 26 March 1946 | London Gazette | The Gazette
  - Bravery Awards for Aerial Combat: Stories Behind the Award of the CGM (Flying)