The Airmen's Stories - P/O R M Hogg

Richard Malzard Hogg was born in Jersey on 2nd July 1919, the son of Cdr. Philip James Hogg DSC RNR and Kathleen Hogg (nee Malzard).

He spent some of his early life in Ceylon where his father, who served in the Royal Navy in both World Wars, was a headmaster. Hogg was at his father’s school and later attended Victoria College in Jersey.

He captained the shooting Vlll and was a platoon commander in the OTC. He entered RAF College Cranwell in April 1938 as a Flight Cadet.

The outbreak of war meant that the course had to be condensed and Hogg left in September 1939, was commissioned in October and went to the 11 Group Pool at St. Athan on the 24th where he converted to Blenheims.

He joined the newly-formed 145 Squadron at Croydon on 30th October. In Blenheim K7114, Hogg collided with another Blenheim west of Gatwick on 10th February 1940 but both aircraft got safely back to base.

In May Hogg may have been serving with 263 Squadron in Norway but this is not certain.

In early July 1940 he was serving with 152 Squadron at Acklington. The squadron moved to Warmwell.

On 8th August he destroyed two Me 109s and damaged a third, on the 12th he shared a Ju 88 and also shared in the probable destruction of two more. On the 21st and 23rd he shared in the destruction of two Ju 88s.

Hogg was shot down and killed by Me 109s in combat over the Channel on 25th August 1940 in Spitfire R6810.

He was 21 and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, panel 8.

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Hogg had a brother, Flight Lieutenant J E Hogg, a pilot who was killed on 15th March 1942, aged 24, serving with 234 Squadron. His Spitfire Vb, BL668, dived into the ground near Bodmin.

He is buried in Ringwood Cemetery.

Above image courtesy of Dean Sumner.