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Peter Hillwood, DFC (born Adolf Bergolz; 7 January 1920 – 9 November 1966) was an
On 16 February 1956 he piloted the Canberra on the record-breaking flight between London and Cairo. In the late 1950s he became Deputy Chief Test Pilot for English Electric flying Lightnings amongst other aircraft. He left English Electric in 1965.
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
and test pilot
A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...
.
World War II and RAF
Hillwood was born inLondon
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, the son of Dagmar Sorenson and Felix Bergolz. He married Gwendoline Hillwood (née St Johnston) and they had one child, Susan Hillwood.
In the Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
, he flew Hawker Hurricanes
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
in RAF 56 Squadron at North Weald where he shot down a Junkers Ju 87. He was shot down in a Hurricane over the Thames Estuary off Sheerness on 13 August 1940.
In 1943 he returned to fighter command in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. In 1944 he joined RAF 127 squadron at North Weald where he flew IX Spitfires. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 22 June 1948.
Post World War II
In July 1949 he became an experimental test pilot with English Electric mainly test-flying de Havilland Vampires. In January 1950 he made his first test flight in theEnglish Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havil ...
and on 26 August 1952 he was co-pilot on the record-breaking Atlantic crossing between Aldergrove (Ireland) and Gander (Canada) in Canberra VX185.
On 16 February 1956 he piloted the Canberra on the record-breaking flight between London and Cairo. In the late 1950s he became Deputy Chief Test Pilot for English Electric flying Lightnings amongst other aircraft. He left English Electric in 1965.
Film work
In 1964 he re-constructed, from original designs, and flew an Avro Triplane Mk IV for the 1965 film ''Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines
''Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes'' is a 1965 British period comedy film that satirizes the early years of aviation. Directed and co-written by Ken Annakin, the film ...
, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes''. In 1965 he was a stunt pilot in the 1966 war film ''The Blue Max
''The Blue Max'' is a 1966 British war film directed by John Guillermin and starring George Peppard, James Mason, Ursula Andress, Karl Michael Vogler, and Jeremy Kemp. The film was made in DeLuxe Color and filmed in CinemaScope. The plot i ...
'' in which he also played a dead German pilot.
He continued as a test pilot until his death, which occurred while flying a prototype Britten Norman BN-2 "Islander" over the Netherlands on 9 November 1966.
Awards
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 22 June 1948. He was also awarded theDistinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...
.
References
External links
*http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/lightning/history.php *http://beagroves.tumblr.com/post/12809234811/xplanes-test-pilots-peter-hillwood-and-roland *http://www.shuttleworth.org/shuttleworth-collection/aircraft-details.asp?ID=13 *https://www.britishpathe.com/video/VLVADIIKIYMSLLFAGLEYNI2MY7178-BRITAINS-RECORD-BREAKING-CANBERRA-FLIGHT/query/RECORD+BREAKING+CANBERRA {{DEFAULTSORT:Hillwood, Peter 1920 births 1966 deaths Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the Netherlands British aviation record holders British test pilots Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1966