Before joining the RAF Eric was serving his articles with the firm of Messrs James, James and Hatch of which his father was a partner, and had passed his intermediate examinations.

No 12 OTU was formed in April 1940 as part of RAF Bomber Command at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire to train light bomber aircrew.

Airborne from RAF Waddington in a Mk Ic Wellington Bomber to transit back to Chipping Warden, Eric’s aircraft [X-9954] crashed moments later whilst banking in the circuit, coming down 1-mile northeast of the airfield on Sunday 8^th February 1942. At the time of his death Eric was 21 years old and is buried in Wrexham Cemetery, Clwyd, N Wales.

Son of Frank Hatch & Juliette Hatch of Wrexham, Denbighshire, North Wales.

A copy of this brief story can be downloaded here.

Revised: November 2025