Caesar Hull facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Caesar Hull
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Hull at RAF Wick in Scotland in early 1940
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| Birth name | Caesar Barrand Hull |
| Born | 26 February 1914 Near Shangani, Southern Rhodesia |
| Died | 7 September 1940 (aged 26) Purley, Surrey, England |
| Buried |
Tangmere, Sussex
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| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1935–1940 |
| Rank | Squadron Leader |
| Service number | 37285 |
| Unit | No. 263 Squadron |
| Commands held | No. 43 Squadron (September 1940) |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Other work | Member of South African boxing team at the 1934 Empire Games |
Caesar Barrand Hull (born 26 February 1914 – died 7 September 1940) was a brave Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot during the Second World War. He was known as a "flying ace" because he shot down many enemy planes. He played a big part in the battles for Narvik during the Norwegian Campaign in 1940. He was also one of "The Few", a group of Allied pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain. Sadly, he was shot down and killed during this battle.
Caesar Hull grew up on a farm in Southern Rhodesia, South Africa, and Swaziland. He was a talented boxer and even represented South Africa at the 1934 British Empire Games. He wanted to join the South African Air Force but was turned down. So, he joined the RAF instead in 1935. By August 1936, he became a pilot officer with No. 43 Squadron RAF at RAF Tangmere in Sussex, England.
Hull was a very skilled pilot. Before the war, he spent a lot of time doing amazing aerobatics (fancy flying stunts). When the war started, he was very eager to fight. In January 1940, he achieved No. 43 Squadron's first victory of the war. In May 1940, he was sent to Norway to lead a group of Gloster Gladiator planes. On 26 May, he shot down four German aircraft in just one hour! This amazing feat earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was shot down the very next day and sent back to England to recover. Hull returned to action in late August. He became the commander of No. 43 Squadron. Just one week later, he died in a fierce air battle over south London.
Caesar Hull had eight confirmed aerial victories during the war. Five of these were over Norway. He was the RAF's first Gladiator ace and the most successful RAF pilot in the Norwegian Campaign. He was buried with other fighter pilots at Tangmere. A monument was built for him near his birthplace in Southern Rhodesia. Later, this monument's plaque was moved to the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum in England. Other memorials to Hull were built in Bodø, Norway, in 1977, and in Purley, England, where his plane crashed, in 2013.
Contents
Early Life and Joining the RAF
Caesar Barrand Hull was born on 26 February 1914. His family lived on Leachdale Farm near Shangani in Southern Rhodesia. He spent his childhood years between Rhodesia and South Africa. When he was a teenager, his family moved to Swaziland. He was taught at home until 1926. Then, he went to St. John's College in Johannesburg. He was a champion boxer. He even represented South Africa in boxing at the 1934 British Empire Games in London.
In 1935, Hull tried to join the South African Air Force. But he was turned down because he didn't speak Afrikaans. So, he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in England in September 1935. He finished his pilot training on 3 August 1936. He then became a pilot officer. Five days later, he joined No. 43 Squadron RAF at RAF Tangmere in Sussex.
Much of Hull's early time in the air force was spent on aerobatics. He and another pilot, Peter "Prosser" Hanks, were very good at stunts. They even perfected a trick where they would swap seats in a two-seater Hawker Audax plane while flying! Hull, along with Peter Townsend and Sergeant Frank Reginald Carey, formed a special aerobatic team. They performed amazing stunts like loops and barrel rolls. Hull flew solo aerobatics at an air show in Hendon in 1937. This show honored the crowning of King George VI.
Hull was promoted to flying officer on 16 April 1938. As war seemed likely, his squadron started getting ready for combat in late 1938. In December that year, they received new Hawker Hurricane Mk Is planes. When the Second World War began in September 1939, Hull was very excited. An officer from his squadron said that Hull jumped around, repeating "wizard, wizard!"
Air Battles in Europe
First Victories
In November 1939, No. 43 Squadron moved to RAF Acklington. This base was near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. They flew Hawker Hurricane Mk Is planes. The weather was very bad. But on 30 January 1940, Hull achieved the squadron's first victory of the war. He shot down a Heinkel He 111 bomber from the German air force (the Luftwaffe). This happened near Coquet Island.
On 26 February, the squadron moved to RAF Wick in northern Scotland. Their job was to help protect the British navy's main base at Scapa Flow. On 28 March 1940, Hull, Carey, and three other pilots together shot down another He 111. On 10 April 1940, Hull helped destroy a German reconnaissance plane. This plane was scouting ahead of a big German raid. The raid was part of the German plan to invade Norway.
When No. 43 Squadron returned to its home base at Tangmere in May 1940, some of its best pilots were sent to other units. Hull was one of them. He was sent to No. 263 Squadron RAF. His new job was to lead a group of Gloster Gladiator biplanes. This unit was going to fight in the Norwegian Campaign for the second time.
Fighting in Norway
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No. 263 Squadron was sent to the area around Narvik. Narvik was a very important port city in northern Norway. It was controlled by the Germans but was being fiercely fought over by Norwegian and Allied forces. The pilots flew across the Norwegian Sea on an aircraft carrier called HMS Furious. On 21 May, they took off from the ship. They flew in groups of three. Each group was led by a Fairey Swordfish plane. They flew into thick mist near the island of Senja. One Swordfish and two Gladiators crashed into a mountain.
Hull led the first four planes safely through the mist. They landed at Bardufoss airfield. This was about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north-east of Narvik. They landed at 4:20 AM. Twelve more Gladiators followed four hours later. By 22 May, fourteen Gladiators were ready to fly patrols from Bardufoss. They flew 30 missions on the first day. On 24 May 1940, Hull and two other pilots shot down a He 111 over Salangen. Two of the five German crew members died. The other three were captured by Norwegian troops. Overall, during its two weeks in northern Norway, No. 263 Squadron claimed 26 confirmed victories.
Hull and two other pilots, Jack Falkson and Tony Lydekker, volunteered for a special mission. They went to a temporary airstrip at Bodø. This port was about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south-west of Narvik. Their job was to protect Allied troops who were retreating north for evacuation. They arrived on 26 May 1940. The airfield was very muddy. The pilots had a hard time moving their planes to dry ground to refuel. They had to use small tin cans of fuel.
While they were refueling, a He 111 was spotted overhead. The three pilots quickly took off, even though they had only partly refueled. Falkson's plane crashed because mud stuck to its wheels. Lydekker took off successfully, but he had so little fuel that Hull told him to land right away to get more.
Hull chased the He 111 over the Saltdal valley. He attacked the bomber three times from behind. He set the plane on fire, forcing it to crash. Then, Hull shot down a Junkers Ju 52 transport plane. After chasing another He 111 without success, he destroyed two more Ju 52s. These transport planes were bringing help to the German forces fighting around Narvik. One was full of supplies. The other two were carrying paratroopers. One of the paratrooper planes landed in German territory before burning. The crew and paratroopers got out safely. But the second plane crashed, killing eight German paratroopers. Hull then attacked another He 111, which started smoking and retreated. Hull had used all his ammunition. He returned to Bodø. In about an hour, flying an older plane and without help, he had destroyed four German planes and damaged a fifth!
Hull, Falkson, and Lydekker spent the night of 26/27 May 1940 patrolling near Rognan. This was about 20 kilometers (12 miles) inland from Bodø. They shared two Gladiators because Falkson's plane was damaged. They chased German bombers away from British and Norwegian forces. They also attacked German troops on the ground. Around 8:00 AM on 27 May, Bodø was attacked by 11 German "Stuka" dive bombers and three Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighters. Lydekker claimed one of the Stukas. But his Gladiator was badly damaged, and he had to fly north to Bardufoss to land.
Hull was initially caught on the ground by the German attack. But he got his fighter plane into the air during a break in the raid. He fought the German planes. He shot down a Stuka, which fell into the sea. Then, a Bf 110, flown by a pilot named Helmut Lent, attacked Hull. Hull's plane crashed near the Bodø airfield. He was wounded in the head and knee. He was treated at Bodø Hospital. Then, he was flown back to Britain on a Sunderland flying boat. Hull's victories in Norway made him the RAF's first Gloster Gladiator "ace." He was also the most successful RAF fighter pilot of the Norwegian Campaign. On 17 June, while he was recovering, he was given the Distinguished Flying Cross for his brave actions in Norway.
Battle of Britain Hero
After about two months of rest, Hull was ready to fly again. On 31 August 1940, he was made the commanding officer of his old unit, No. 43 Squadron. He replaced Squadron Leader John "Tubby" Badger, who had been badly wounded. The squadron was still based at Tangmere. They flew Hurricanes. By now, they were fighting in the Battle of Britain. The Allied pilots in this battle were later called "The Few". Hull was also promoted to squadron leader. He was surprised by his quick promotion.
Hull's first battle as commander was on 2 September. Three of his squadron's Hurricanes were shot down. But they also shot down two German Messerschmitt Bf 109s. On 4 September, Hull led a group of Hurricanes. They won a big air battle over Sussex against many German Bf 110s.
Around 4:00 PM on 7 September 1940, nine Hurricanes from No. 43 Squadron quickly took off. Their mission was to stop a large group of German planes flying over Kent towards London. Hull led six of the planes towards the German bombers. Another pilot, John "Killy" Kilmartin, led three planes to fight the German fighter planes. Hull flew his plane above the bombers. Then, he dived towards them, telling his pilots to "smash them up."
A very fast battle followed. Hull was killed while diving to help another pilot, Dick Reynell, who was under heavy attack. Hull was last seen firing at a Dornier Do 17 bomber. He was then shot down by a Bf 109. Reynell was also killed. Hull's body was found mostly burned inside his Hurricane. His plane had crashed on the grounds of Purley High School for Boys in Purley, Surrey. He was only 26 years old.
Losing Hull and Reynell, who were very popular pilots, deeply affected the squadron's morale. Hull's body was taken back to Tangmere. He was buried with other fighter pilots at St Andrew's Church. By the end of the war, his confirmed record was four German aircraft destroyed, two damaged, and four shared destroyed.
Remembering Caesar Hull
After Hull's death, people in Shangani built a memorial for him. It was a granite pillar with a brass plaque. The plaque honored his service and bravery. This monument was finished before the war ended. It was placed next to the main road between Bulawayo and Gwelo, near the Shangani River.
A memorial to Hull, Jack Falkson, and Tony Lydekker was built at the airport in Bodø, Norway. This happened three decades later. It was officially opened on 17 June 1977. The Norwegian Minister of Defence was there.
After Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980, the government didn't want many old monuments from the World Wars. This included Hull's memorial at Shangani. In 2003, the Hull family decided to take the plaque down. They wanted to donate it to the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum in England. The museum was happy to accept it. The plaque was removed and flown to England for free by an airline. Hull's sister, Wendy Bryan, officially gave the plaque to the museum on 17 April 2004.
A new monument to Hull was built in 2013. It is at Coulsdon Sixth Form College. This college is on the site of the old Purley High School. The monument shows an airplane and a dove together. It was officially dedicated on 11 November that year, which is Remembrance Day. Hull's sister, Wendy Bryan, was there.
Hull's Personality and Reputation
Caesar Hull's friends remembered him as an amazing pilot. They also remembered him as a friendly and cheerful person. Jimmy Beedle, who wrote a history of No. 43 Squadron, called Hull one of its greatest characters. He said Hull was a big reason for the squadron's high flying standards and great team spirit. John Simpson, another pilot, said he felt confident flying with Caesar.
Another pilot said, "I have never seen anyone who could throw a fighter about with so much confidence as old Caesar." He added, "Following Caesar you found yourself getting more out of your machine than you had ever imagined was possible."
Beedle wrote that "All the superlatives have already been written about Caesar." He described Hull as a "laughing warrior" with "crinkly hair and a croaky voice." He said Hull had a "magic power of creating happiness in others." He made them forget their worries and feel confident. He filled them with his own great love of life. "Where Caesar was, laughter was," Beedle wrote.
