Hugh Riches Morling

A Leading Aircraftman with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Hugh died on 3rd of July 1943 aged 33. 

Hugh was born at Lowestoft on 24 August 1909, a son of Ernest Jabez and Ada Maria Morling. In 1911 his family lived at Snowdon House, 146, London Road North. By 1921 they were living at 23 Old Nelson Street and later his father lived at 45 Gunton Drive. 

In 1935 Hugh married Winifred May Gouldby. By 1939 Hugh and Winifred were living at 20 Ipswich Road and Hugh was the director and joint manager of Pearn’s Radio and Music Retailers and Repairers. 

Hugh enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve after April 1940. Hugh served in the Far East with 307 Air Ministry Experimental Station which was a radar unit. It appears that his unit was providing defence support for Singapore and that Hugh was evacuated to Java before Singapore was captured by the Japanese. Hugh was then, technically, posted to R.A.F. Kluang but, by March 1942, had been evacuated to Java and he was taken prisoner, along with several other men of his unit, at Java on 8 March 1942.  

Hugh was held at a camp at Moluccas before being held at Haroekoe (Haruku). He died from bacillary dysentery. Commonwealth War Graves records suggest that he died at Ambon and it appears that he was buried at Cape Marakee, Kario VIII, and that, in 1947, he was re-buried at Ambon War Cemetery. 

WITH THANKS TO: Malcolm Barrass