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Wartime Heritage
ASSOCIATION
Remembering World War II
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Ray Bertram Hilchey
Ray Bertram Hilchey
Flying Officer
J/40778
Royal Canadian Air Force
514 RAF Squadron
February 16, 1923
Popes Harbour, Halifax County, NS
September 24, 1942
Halifax, NS
Halifax, NS
19
5 feet, 6½ inches
Grey
Brown
Office clerk
Single
Anglican
Stanley Betram Hilchey, (Father) Halifax
May 9, 1945
22
Clichy Northern Cemetery, Hauts-de-Seine, France
Plot 16. Row 12. Coll. grave 17-18.
Commemorated on Page 524 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance
Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on November 5
Commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial in Nanton, Alberta
Ray Betram Hichey was the son of Stanley Bertram and Loretta Esperance (Lawlor) Hilchey, of 108
Lawrence Street in Halifax. His father was from Popes Harbour and worked as a foreman; his mother
was from Spry Bay. He was the brother of Harry St. Clair and Glyn Charles.
He completed grade nine at the Chebucto Road School (1928-1935), his high school at Bloomfield
High (1935-1938), and enrolled at the Nova Scotia Technical College for telephone substation courses
(1938-1939).
Photography and scouting were his hobbies in grade school. He enjoyed tennis, baseball and
recreational sports. He worked as a maintenance clerk with Maritime Tel and Tel Company on Hollis
Street in Halifax prior to enlistment (1938-1942).
After enlistment, his training included time in Lachine & St. Hubert, Quebec, Saskatoon and Prince
Albert, Saskatchewan, and Brandon and Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.
Ray departed Canada via Halifax on April 29, 1944, disembarking in the UK May 7, 1944 and
serving overseas until his death May 9, 1945.
On Wednesday, May 9, 1945, Ray’s Avro Lancaster III’s flight (Serial RF230, markings JI-B), on
which he was the Navigator, was on Operation Exodus engaged in the repatriation of prisoners with 24
former Allied prisoners of war on board. Departing from Juvincourt, france, their destination was RAF
Waterbeach in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, England.
After taking off at 12:15 pm, the pilot reported problems with the controls and intended to return
to Juvincourt. The plane crashed in a wooded area at Roye-Amy (South East Roye, France)
forty three nautical miles into the flight at 12:26 pm.
This was the largest single loss of life resulting from the loss of a single Bomber Command aircraft.
Six days earlier On May 3, 1945 the parents of Flying Officer Evers) received a letter that on a
previous mission they had been flying food from England to Holland to feed the starving population of
the Netherlands.
Crew:
Pilot, Flying Officer Donald Beaton
Flight Engineer, Flight Sergeant John Goodworth Brittain
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, Flight Sergeant Alfred McMurrough
Navigator, Flying Officer Ray Betram Hilchey
Air Gunner, Pilot Officer Robert MacPherson Toms
Air Gunner, Pilot Officer Orval Clare Evers
Passengers:
Sergeant Ronald Arthur Adams, 5111739, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Private Thomas Anderson, 2940187, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders
Private William Leonard Ball, 804169, The Queen’s Royal Regiment
Private Samuel James Bayston, 4751822, Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment)
Corporal Emmanuel L. Belshaw, 2650397, East Surrey Regiment
Private Roland Albert Betton, 4032985, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
Lieutenant Patrick Archibald Tomlin W.B. Campbell, 124175, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment
Private Ronald Ernest Clark, 5954856, Royal Scots
Private Walter Croston, 2185985, Pioneer Corps
Gunner Alfred James Spencer Crowe, 840450, Royal Artillery
Fusilier Harold Cummings, 3461448, Lancashire Fusiliers
Private Richard Danson, 3392078, East Surrey Regiment
Rifleman Thomas James Edwards, 6912680, Rifle Brigade
Lance Corporal George William Franks, 6844798, King’s Royal Rifle Corps
Gunner A. N. Labotske, 45537, South African Artillery
Pioneer W. L. Lindheimer, Pal/12055, Pioneer Corps
Pioneer Mordhai Maschit, Pal/12056, Pioneer Corps
Fusilier Owen Parkin, 3448706, Lancashire Fusiliers
Guardsman James Arthur Roe, 2719806, Irish Guards
Lieutenant Eric Thomas Theodore Snowdon, 94190, Royal Artillery
Corporal Albert George Thompson, 5253245, Worcestershire Regiment
Private Ralph Turnbull, 4451208, Durham Light Infantry
Captain Robert Worsley Wheeler, 85759, Royal Engineers
Private Patrick Yates, 14208422, Lancashire Regiment