Eric Hill (cricketer)

[2] He was educated at Taunton School, where he was a day boy, and where one of his contemporaries, though a boarder, was the future cricket writer Alan Gibson.

They flew a mission to the Lofoten Islands on 9 July 1944, searching the coastal shipping lanes and photographing the mainland town of Bodø.

The top cover of their aeroplane blew off as they descended towards the fjord to make their photography run, subjecting the crew to freezing temperatures for the remainder of the flight.

They flew 2,300 miles in a mission that lasted nearly 8 hours, landing at RAF Wick, but were immediately refuelled and sent on to Leuchars for the photographs to be developed.

The KING has been graciously pleased, to approve the following awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy: — Distinguished Service Order.

As pilot and observer respectively this officer and airman have completed many sorties and have displayed a high standard of skill and devotion to duty.

This officer and airman have displayed courage and fortitude of a high order.After a reconnaissance flight to Magdeburg on 16 September, they were chased by two Me 262s, but eluded them by making a series of sharp turns that the faster jet-powered German aircraft could not match, before ducking into cloud to escape.

As a cricketer, Hill was a tall, thin, dark-haired, bespectacled right-handed batsman who played fairly regularly as Harold Gimblett's opening partner in three seasons, 1948, 1949 and 1951.

[10] He was out of form in 1950 as well, playing only six matches and making only 67 runs, and Les Angell emerged from club cricket in Bath for Lansdown as a more regular opening partner for Gimblett.

His former school-friend and fellow reporter Alan Gibson wrote in 1983: "He rules over the tatty old press-box at Taunton with what purports to be an iron glove, though there is a velvet hand within it.

He will growl about 'you cowboys' to visitors, especially when they arrive late and want to borrow his scorecard, but having been suitably humbled they get their information and their telephone calls in the end...