Samuel Nicholas Hackforth

Memorial: Filton - St Peter's Church

Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945

Rank and number: Pilot Officer

Parents: Reverend Henry Robert and Milicent Mary Hackforth

Home address: Weston Super Mare

Date of birth: 1922

Date of death: 08/02/1942

Buried/Commemorated at: No known burial site but commemorated on Singapore War Memorial and St Peter’s, Filton War Memorial and Truro School memorial

Age: 19

Further information:

136 Squadron, RAF Volunteer Reserve.

Samuel was the middle son of a Wesleyan minister. His older brother served in the Navy and his younger brother also served in the air force. Samuel was educated at Truro college and trained as a pilot in Canada. He was described as a very happy lad with a genial disposition and popular.

Samuel served in Singapore and was on defence action over Sumatra when his plane was shot down by enemy fighters and crashed in the jungle. Samuel died when everything was consumed in the resultant fire.
Samuel’s brother, Robert Newton Hackforth, who also served in the RAF, was wounded in July 1945 in Sumatra. He died in England in 1946 aged 25, during an operation for his head injuries and is buried in Weston Super-mare Cemetery.

By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):

This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
https://www.truroschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/October-Newsletter-PDF.pdf