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WO. Hubert James Wheeler "Horse" Hendy
Royal Air Force 454 Squadron
from:Southampton
Jim Hendy (christened Hubert James Wheeler Hendy) originally came from Southampton and enlisted with the RAF when he reached 18 years of age during WWII. This was quite a change of pace for him as, up to that time, he had been working as a farm hand near Fordingbridge, Dorset where he was still using Suffolk Punch horses to plough the fields.
When his training was complete he was sent to serve with the Australian 454 squadron based in the Middle East, due to the heavy losses incurred by their crews. Here, he teamed-up with three other men also from the UK (Jim Baber, Robbie Robinson and Les Weale), and was given the nickname of Horse which those in-the-know insisted on using for the rest of his life. They flew an adapted Baltimore on reconnaissance missions to photograph enemy positions and prospective targets for the bomber crews. Jim Hendy served as rear gunner and radio operator. Together, they survived an almost unprecedented number of sorties over hostile territory and had a number of close calls, including one of their first outings in which a piece of shrapnel pierced the body of the plane and struck Jim Hendy on the head he remarked at this point that he didn't see much future in this game. Subsequent to this period, Jim Hendy was promoted to non-commissioned warrant officer and continued to serve alongside his very good friend Les Weale, until they were all eventually demobbed after the end of the war in Europe.
Falling on hard times after returning home, Jim Hendy was particularly grateful to Robbie Robinson who helped him to find employment with the GPO, where he worked until he retired. All four crew members remained firm friends after the war had ended and they continued to meet for regular reunions for as long as their health would permit. Jim Hendy and Jim Baber (pilot) remained weekly drinking companions in their home town of Southampton until into their 90s. Jim Hendy was the last surviving member of the crew and died in March 2017 at the age of 95. I hope he knew how much he would be missed by all of his family and friends.
