Operation: Reconnaissance night patrol

Date: 17/18th August 1942 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 3 Squadron (motto: Tertius primus erit - 'The third shall be the first'), 11 Group, Fighter Command

Type: Hurricane IIB

Serial: Z5257

Code: -

Base: RAF Hunsden, Hertfordshire

Location: English Channel

Pilot: Plt Off. Bruce Hamilton Hay DFC, 41511 RNZAF Age 28. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 00:50 hrs on a reconnaissance night patrol of the French coast. The aircraft failed to return, the only loss from the squadron on this operation.

His body was washed ashore on the 28th August 1942 at Newhaven and buried at Hawkinge Cemetery.

Bruce Hamilton Hay was educated at the Vauxhall Primary School and the Takapuna Grammar School. Worked as an accounts clerk for James Hardie Limited of Auckland prior to service.

Served in the territorial army for 3 years prior to enlisting in the RNZAF at Levin on the 19th January 1941. Trained at No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School commencing 2nd March 1941. Then to No. 1 Flying Training School on the 13th April 1941. Presented his pilots wings on the 9th June 1941 and promoted to Sergeant on the 5th July 1941.

Above: Course 11D, No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Whenuapai. 2nd March 1941.

L-R: Rear; Jack Inskip 41332 - killed 10 September 1942, Frederick Charles Hackett 41325 - killed 12 November 1941, Richard Percival William Barker 41464 - killed 22 December 1941, G. Dunn, Geoffrey Ernest Dale 41314 - killed 1 October 1942, Carlyle Gray Everiss 41318, Lawrence Heaton Baxter 41300 - killed 17 April 1943, RJ Hill.

Middle; Henry James Moore Jensen 41480 - died 13 March 2008, John Trevor Vivian Gill 403362 - killed 4 September 1942, Eric Lindsay Gray 41322 - died 23 February 1983, Bruce Hamilton Hay 41511 - killed 18 August 1942, A.C Crocombe, Henry William Manfred Downard 41315 - killed 18 December 1942 , Robert Walter Coddington 41310 (1).

Front; Charles Croall, Francis Max McKenzie 41344 - killed 23 June 1943, Selwyn Latta 41339 - killed 9 April 1943, A.H Beale, Kenneth Oscar Law 41340, J.R Hall, Donald Stuart Leighton 391054 - died 24 March 2014.

Embarked for England on the 22nd July 1941 and attached to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre (PRC) on the 2nd September 1941. Joined 59 Operational Training Unit (OTU) on the 8th September 1941 for training on the Hurricane.

Involved in a flying accident on the 27th September 1941 but not thought to be injured. Joined 3 Squadron on the 28th October 1941. Appointed to a commission and promoted to Plt Off. on the 28th April 1942.

Spent a period in hospital (No details) 20th May - 21st June 1942.

He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in July 1942:

Citation “Pilot Officer. Bruce Hamilton Hay completed a large number of operational sorties and intruder operations over enemy territory. He has destroyed four enemy aircraft, probably five, and damaged two others. A valuable pilot and an inspiration to his colleagues, cool and skilful, he possesses marked courage and devotion to duty”.

(1) Robert Walter Coddington was born on the 22nd January 1922 in Wellington, New Zealand.

He enlisted in the RNZAF on the 18th January 1941. He was trained as a Pilot on Tiger Moths at RNZAF Base Auckland located at Whenuapui and Fairey Gordons at No.1 Flying Training School (FTS) RNZAF at Wigram in Wellington.

41310 Sgt. Coddington embarked aboard the QSMV “Dominion Monarch”, which sailed from Auckland to Liverpool via Halifax, Nova Scotia arriving in Liverpool on the 2nd September 1941. Posted to 11 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RAF Bassingbourn on Wellingtons.

Posted then to 148 Squadron, 205 Group, Middle East Command in the second half of 1942 flying the Wellington 1C.

Warrant Officer (WO) Coddington was appointed to a commission and promoted to Plt Off. on the 14th October 1943.

Returned to England in 1943 after completing his tour and was posted to 11 OTU at RAF Westcott & RAF Oakley.

He returned to New Zealand aboard the RMS “Rangitane” sailing from London on the 8th October 1952.

He transferred to RAF in 1947 as in the role of Pilot 1 in England and appointed to a commission and promoted to Fg Off with a Service No. of 4016203.

He was promoted to Flt Lt. effective 19th June 1952 (London Gazette 29th July 1952).

Trained as Pilot/Navigation Instructor at RAF Shawbury (RAF Central Navigation & Control School) and posted to RAF Feltwell, then to RAF Moreton-in-Marsh.

He was transferred to a direct commission as a Flt Lt. in the RAFO. (12 years on the active list and 4 years on the reserve and effective 11th February 1955). The period of service was to count from the 28th November 1949. (London Gazette 12th August 1955).

Flew the Vickers Valetta C1 with 52 Squadron, Far East Transport Wing at RAF Changi in Singapore, operating between Negombo (Ceylon) and Kai Tak (Hong Kong). He then became an Air Traffic Controller at RAF Duxford.

He relinquished his commission as a Flt Lt. on the 28th November 1965 (London Gazette 30th November 1965)

Robert passed away on the 1st October 2007 in New Zealand.

Burial details:

Plt Off. Bruce Hamilton Hay DFC. Hawkinge Cemetery. Plot O. Row 2. Grave 63. Born on the 4 August 1914 at Wellington. Son of Harold James Hay (died 1930, age 44) and Blanche Alma Hay (née Powell - died 11th December 1955, age 70), of Remuera, Auckland City, New Zealand.

Also remembered on the Takapuna War Memorial and Takapuna Grammar School War Memorial

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection,Weekly News of New Zealand (Sep 2021). Thanks to Janice Harris, daughter of Robert Walter Coddington, for his service outline which has been researched by Aircrew Remembered (Sep 2025)

Other sources listed below:

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