This is the war grave of Frederick H Hilling, located in the churchyard of St. John the Baptist Church in Coltishall.
Frederick was born on 30 October 1920 and he’s listed on the 1939 Register as living at 11 Council Houses in Coltishall, living with his father Herbert (a fruiterer), his mother Florence (a housewife), his older brother Thomas (a wood machinist) and his younger brother Bertie (a carpenter). At the time, Frederick was listed as being single and working as a painter and decorator.
He was a sergeant in the Royal Air Force, service number 1222870. He died on 30 December 1942 at the age of 22 years old when the plane that he was flying (a Consolidated PBY Catalina) crashed at Reaghan Hill in Omagh. Air Crew Remembered notes that those killed included:
Pilot: Sgt. John Samuel Orr 978191 RAFVR Age 21.
Pilot: Sgt. Frederick Herbert Hilling 1222870 RAF Age 22.
Fl/Eng: Sgt. George Wilson Lowther AUS/6240 Age 25.
Nav: F/O. Robert Mercer Adams J/11950 RCAF Age 20.
Flight Mech/Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Edward Slade 1233795 RAFVR Age 20.
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Nichol 1026077 RAFVR Age 21.
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Arthur Horton Perkins 1132720 RAFVR Age 28.
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Charles Bernard Ridge 1198310 RAFVR Age ?
Air/Gnr: F/O. Matthew James Hall Newman 49003 RAF Age 25.
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Daniel Ward Yates 1058083 RAFVR Age 21.
Air/Gnr: LAC Leslie Greenhalgh 1137149 RAFVR Age 22.
Frederick’s body must have been transported back to Coltishall where his family lived for him to be buried in the church’s churchyard. I did wonder why he wasn’t buried at RAF Coltishall’s church, but he was stationed at RAF Killadeas in Northern Ireland rather than locally. But, the element that intrigues me is that in 1939 this young man was working as a painter in Coltishall, but yet within three years is piloting aircraft.