The Airmen's Stories - P/O D W Hunt

David Walter Hunt was born in Wolverhampton on 26th August 1919. He joined the RAF on a short service commission and began his elementary flying at 12 E&RFTS Prestwick on 8th August 1939.

He went to 3 ITW Hastings on 6th October and on the 25th he was posted to 11 FTS Shawbury for intermediate and advanced training.

Hunt joined 257 Squadron direct from FTS on 17th May 1940 at Hendon, where it was reforming. The squadron became operational on 1st July and moved to Northolt three days later.

On 18th August Hunt probably destroyed a Ju87 and on the 31st he damaged a Me110. He was shot down by enemy fighters in Hurricane L1585 on 3rd September and baled out, severely burned, landing near Brook Farm, Margretting.

Taken to Billericay Hospital, Hunt later went to the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead where he underwent plastic surgery by Archie Mclndoe and became a Guinea Pig.

After nearly a year of treatment Hunt was posted as Officer i/c Hornchurch Detachment of 11 Group Flight. The unit had a Hurricane, which he flew, a Lysander and a Blenheim. It was engaged on calibration of radar, searchlights and anti-aircraft defences which involved flying on set courses at known heights and speeds to co-ordinate the defence systems.

Hunt was posted away in October 1943 and appointed Station Adjutant at RAF Aberporth. He was released from the RAF in September 1945 as a Flight Lieutenant.

He later went to live in New Zealand and died there in 2002.