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Trying to find family data for a Reginald E Hill

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Ian

Ian Report 6 Feb 2026 12:03

Reginald Ernest Hill was born about 1906 in Woodford, Essex. Parents George Alexander Hill and Jessie Louisa Dowling. I already have all their family data, including all of their children, but I have found nothing in the records for Reg. There is a family photo of him; he was in the RAF during the II world war.
Some of his siblings moved to Australia and died there 1960/70s.
I have not found any connection to Australia for Reg.
Regards
Ian

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 6 Feb 2026 12:08

You say born 'about'..........haven't you looked for the registration?

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 6 Feb 2026 12:12

HILL, REGINALD ERNEST DOWLING
GRO Reference: 1907 M Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 407

1911 Census For England & Wales
39 Hatherley Road W Stow, Walthamstow, London & Essex, England

George Alexander Hill Head Married Male 35 1876 Managing confindential clerk Middlesex Bromley by Bow
Jessie Louisa Hill Wife Married Female 36 1875 - Middlesex Clerkenwell
George Alexander Frederick Hill Son - Male 10 1901 - Middlesex Islington
Frank Leonald Hill Son - Male 9 1902 - Essex Walthamstow
Jessie Lilian Hill Daughter - Female 5 1906 - Essex Woodford
Reginald Ernest Hill Son - Male 4 1907 - Essex Woodford


1921 Census Of England & Wales
5, Kitchener Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon, Surrey, England
George Alexander Hill Head Male 1875 45 Bromley by Bow, Middlesex, England Commercial Messenger Import & Export Merchants Mogi & Co Import & Export Merchants
Jessie Louisa Hill Wife Female 1874 46 Clerkenwell, London, England Home Duties -
Jessie Lilian Hill Daughter Female 1905 16 Woodford, Essex, England - -
Reginald Eva Hill Son Male 1906 14 Woodford, Essex, England Errand Boy Finley & Co Surgical Instrument Makers
Muriel Bessie Hill Daughter Female 1912 9 Thornton Heath, Surrey, England - -
Walter Cutherber Hill Son Male 1915 5 Thornton Heath, Surrey, England -


14 yrs 7 months on 19th June 1921, therefore born Nov/Dec 1906

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 6 Feb 2026 13:03

What rank was he in the RAF?

Have you looked on the National Archives site for possible info?

nameslessone

nameslessone Report 6 Feb 2026 13:07

Do you know if Reg survived the war?

Are you assuming that Reg emigrated with his siblings?

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 6 Feb 2026 13:13

The father served in WW1


Name George Hill
Gender Male
Age 41
Birth Date 1876
Service Date 17 Oct 1917
Service Number 101362
Spouse Jessie Hill
Next of Kin Jessie Hill
Relation to Airman Wife

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 6 Feb 2026 13:18

Any connection???? Just posting what comes up in case it's relevant

Name Reginald Brian Hill
Death Registration Date 1974
Death Registration Place Victoria, Australia
Father Reginald Ernest Hill
Mother Streeter
Reference Number 22432

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 6 Feb 2026 13:33

???????

First name(s) R E
Section title The King Has Been Graciously Pleased To Give Orders For The Publication Of The Names Ot The Following Personnel Who Have Been Mentioned In Despatches
Last name Hill
Section address Air Ministry
Service number 40705
London Gazette issue number 36866
Rank Flight Lieutenant
London Gazette date 29 Dec 1944
Unit or regiment Rafo
Page number 69
Service Air
Country United Kingdom
Service branch Royal Air Force
Record set Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, Mentioned In Dispatches 1940-1945
Year 1944
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
War Second World War, 1939-1945
Subcategory Second World War
Publication title Supplement To The London Gazette Of Friday, The Zgth Of December, 1944

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 6 Feb 2026 14:14

These seem to be the parents of that 1974 child.
Don't know anything about the apparent change of names.


Robt Brady
Victoria, Australia, Marriage Index, 1837-1962 Purchase Original Document
Name Robt Brady [Regd Ernest Hill]
Gender Male
Marriage Place Victoria, Australia
Marriage Registration Date 1934
Marriage Registration Place Victoria, Australia
Spouse
Edna May Streeter [Edna Pearl Egan ]
Reference Number 11318



Edna May Hill
Victoria, Australia, Cemetery Records and Headstone Transcriptions, 1844-1997
Name Edna May Hill
Death Date 22 Jun 1980
Burial Place Victoria, Australia
Cemetery Melbourne
Section MF
Grave Number 58
Religion R-C
Transcription In loving memory Reginald Brian HILL accidentally killed 18 Jun 1974 age 37 yrs. husband of Norma son of Edna May. Edna May HILL loved mother of Reg passed away 22 Jun 1980.

nameslessone

nameslessone Report 6 Feb 2026 14:19

A family member's tree on Ancestry has him dying in Suffolk - no date given - probably this one:
Reginald E Hill
Death Age 55
Birth Date abt 1906
Registration Date Jul 1961
[Aug 1961]
[Sep 1961]
Registration Quarter Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration District Samford
Inferred County Suffolk
Volume 4b
Page 753

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 6 Feb 2026 15:15

This is a match for the age at death in 1961

Births Jun 1906 (>99%)
Hill Reginald Ernest Norwich 4b 147

alviegal

alviegal Report 6 Feb 2026 15:45

No help but the 1939 register.

1939 Register
5 Kitchener Road, Croydon, Croydon C.B., Surrey, England

Household members (3 people)
First name(s) Last name(s) Birth date Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule sub number
Jessie L Hill 22 Jul 1874 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 187 1
Walter C Hill 28 Aug 1915 Male Bakery Mixer Single 187 2
George A F Hill ? Jul 1900 Male Law Clerk Married 187 3

nameslessone

nameslessone Report 6 Feb 2026 15:50

It was a fairly close family member that had Ipswich in their tree. Maybe Ian should contact them ( a free trial on Ancestry) and check it out.

The tree belonged to a niece or great niece I think.

Jink20

Jink20 Report 6 Feb 2026 17:57

Not 40705 Hill. First name differs....

WWI & WWII, Commonwealth War Graves Commission Death Registers

HILL, RONALD EDWIN
Service number 40705
Date Of Death 28 Dec 1941
SON OF FRANK EDWIN JAMES HILL AND NELLIE ALICE MAUDE HILL, OF ADDISCOMBE, SURREY.

Ian

Ian Report 6 Feb 2026 18:06

WOW, I did not expect so many super kind replies to my post. Thank you all for your time and efforts. I will need to work my way through this lovely data.
Here is an interesting note. I recently posted a old family snap of Reg in his services uniform to Grok AI. Here is his reply,

Yes, the uniform in the photo is that of a Royal Air Force (RAF) Sergeant from the British armed forces, most likely dating to the World War II era or shortly after (1940s, possibly extending into the early 1950s for retained wartime styles).Key Identification FeaturesRank Insignia: Three downward-pointing chevrons (stripes) on the upper sleeve. In the RAF (from its formation in 1918 onward), this exactly denotes the rank of Sergeant (Sgt). For comparison: Corporal had two chevrons, Flight Sergeant had three chevrons topped with a crown, and higher ranks had different additions.
The chevrons are typically light blue on a darker blue background for RAF service dress, though black-and-white photos make color hard to discern.

Winged Badge/Patch on Arm: The patch on the upper sleeve (visible near the shoulder) is the distinctive RAF eagle (often called the "RAF arm badge" or "eagle patch"). This was worn by RAF other ranks (enlisted personnel) on both sleeves below the shoulder seam to distinguish them from Army personnel. It features a spread-winged eagle within a wreath or circular design—standard RAF insignia adopted in 1918 and used through WWII and beyond.
Uniform Style: The tunic is a standard RAF service dress jacket (often called "battledress" or service tunic in wartime contexts), with stand-up collar, four pockets, and buttons. The high collar, fitted cut, and overall appearance match RAF enlisted men's uniforms from the 1930s–1950s.
Background: The corrugated metal buildings behind him are classic Nissen huts (semicircular, prefabricated barracks widely used by British forces, especially the RAF, during WWII for airfields and camps in the UK and overseas). This reinforces a British military setting, likely an RAF station or



ErikaH

ErikaH Report 6 Feb 2026 18:54

Have you thought of applying for possible RAF records for the man?

Ian

Ian Report 6 Feb 2026 21:02

Erikah, it has not been possible until today's help to order records. I have never found details of what record to order. No living family member of the Hill/Dowling family has a clue what happened to Uncle Reg. and why his brother Frank Leopold Hill was born in 1891 when the parents George and Jessie married on 22 Jul 1899, Saint Mark, Middleton Square, Islington, England, that's another story.

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 6 Feb 2026 21:31

Census info shows Frank to have been born c1901. Have you actually looked for his birth record?

Ian

Ian Report 6 Feb 2026 21:49

Just found Frank's death.
Detail Source
Name Frank Leopold Hill
Death Age 67
Birth Date abt 1902
[abt 1902]
Death Date Abt 1969
Death Place Ocea, Victoria
Registration Date 1969
Registration Place Australia
Father
Frede Gecrge
Mother
Jessie Louis Dowling
Registration Number 15278

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 6 Feb 2026 22:02

His BIRTH is on freebmd…and on the GRO index (with MMN)
Both sets of records are totally FREE….make use of them, they’re invaluable