Hubert Hastings Adair

Sergeant Hubert Hastings ‘Paddy’ Adair was born on 17 August 1917 at Castleblayney, County Monaghan, in Ireland; after the death of his father the family moved to Norwich, where he was educated at the City of Norwich School. He joined the Royal Air Force in January 1936 as an airman under training as a pilot. By the outbreak of war he was serving with No. 88 Squadron, flying Fairey Battle light bombers with the Advanced Air Striking Force in France, and he came through the Battle of France in the summer of 1940. In August he volunteered for Fighter Command and converted to the Hawker Hurricane, joining No. 151 Squadron at RAF Digby on 4 September 1940 before moving to No. 213 Squadron at RAF Tangmere later that month. On the night of 5 November 1940 he was involved in a landing accident, but was back in the air the following afternoon. On 6 November he failed to return from combat over the Southampton area, his Hurricane (V7602) believed to have been shot down by the German ace Major Helmut Wick of JG 2. The aircraft crashed and burned out at Pigeon House Farm, Widley, in Hampshire; when the site was excavated in October 1979 his remains were recovered and afterwards cremated. He was 23. Having no known grave at the time, he is commemorated on the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede.