| John E. L. Hunter | |
| Birth Name: | John Ellis Langford Hunter |
| Birth Date: | 31 January 1897 |
| Birth Place: | Hackney, London, England |
| Death Place: | South Africa |
| Placeofburial: | Somerset West, Western Cape, South Africa |
| Branch: | |
| Serviceyears: | 1916–1919 |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Unit: | No. 4 Squadron RNAS/No. 204 Squadron RAF |
| Awards: | Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Flying Cross |
Captain John Ellis Langford Hunter (31 January 1897 – 18 June 1971) was a British World War I flying ace credited with 13 confirmed aerial victories.
Hunter was born in Hackney, London, the only son of Ellis Hunter,[1] and was educated at Bedford Modern School.[2]
He entered the Royal Naval Air Service as a probationary flight officer (temporary), appointed to, on 1 October 1916,[3] and after completing his training was commissioned as a flight sub-lieutenant on 13 June 1917.
Hunter joined No. 4 Squadron, flying a Sopwith Camel, in July. On 3 September, he and Flight Sub-Lieutenant K. V. Turney drove down a German observation plane out of control. On the 22nd, he shared one of his two victories with Turney when they shot down two seaplanes northeast of Ostend,[4] for which he was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.[5]
Hunter was promoted to flight lieutenant on 31 December 1917. His next victory came on 21 March 1918 when he destroyed a Pfalz D.III off Middelkerke, and he destroyed another on the 26th.[4] Soon after, on 1 April, the Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) were merged to form the Royal Air Force, and No. 4 Naval Squadron was renamed No. 204 Squadron RAF.[5]
On 16 July 1918 Hunter was appointed a temporary captain while serving as a flight commander. He continued to score sporadically until 12 August, when he flamed one Fokker D.VII, destroyed another, and drove a third down out of control, to bring his total to 13. He suffered a leg wound in the process, but the action won him the Distinguished Flying Cross.[4] [5]
See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I.
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 September 1917 @ 1650 hours | Sopwith Camel serial no. B3879 | Reconnaissance craft | Driven down out of control | 1 mile southwest of Gistel, Belgium | Victory shared with another RNAS pilot | |
| 2 | 22 September 1917 @ 0815 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Seaplane | Destroyed | 22 miles northeast of Ostend, Belgium | Victory shared with two other RNAS pilots | |
| 3 | 22 September 1917 @ 0815 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Seaplane | Destroyed | 22 miles northeast of Ostend, Belgium | ||
| 4 | 21 March 1918 @ 0825 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Pfalz D.III fighter | Destroyed | 5 miles off Middelkerke, Belgium | ||
| 5 | 26 March 1918 @ 1700 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Pfalz D.III fighter | Destroyed | miles northeast of Diksmuide, Belgium | ||
| 6 | 2 May 1918 @ 1815 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Rumpler reconnaissance craft | Driven down out of control | South of Diksmuide, Belgium | ||
| 7 | 20 May 1918 @ 1020 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3879 | Seaplane | Forced to land; destroyed | Northeast of Ostend, Belgium | ||
| 8 | 30 June 1918 @ 1445 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3895 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Driven down out of control | Blankenberge, Belgium | Not listed in Shores, et al. | |
| 9 | 31 July 1918 @ 1930 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3894 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Destroyed | Roulers, Belgium | ||
| 10 | 31 July 1918 @ 1930 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3894 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Destroyed | Roulers, Belgium | ||
| 11 | 12 August 1918 @ 1055 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3894 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Destroyed by fire | Blankenberge, Belgium | ||
| 12 | 12 August 1918 @ 1055 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3894 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Destroyed | Blankenberge, Belgium | ||
| 13 | 12 August 1918 @ 1055 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B3894 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Driven down out of control | Blankenberge, Belgium |
Hunter was confirmed in the rank of captain on 21 January 1919, but left the RAF six months later, being transferred to the unemployed list, on 2 July.
Ellis died in South Africa in 1971, and is buried in the cemetery at Somerset West, Western Cape.[6]