Memorial details

Memorial type
Board / Plaque / Tablet
District
Fenland
Town
March
County
Cambridgeshire
Country
England
Commemoration
Second World War (1939-1945)
Ceremony
  • Dedicated
    Date: 28th July 1988
    Attended by: Bishop Suffragan of Huntingdon
  • Unveiled
    Date: 28th July 1988
    Attended by: Group Captain W S McAlister, M.B.E., R.A.A.F, Senior Attache, Australian High Commision
  • Show More (1)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
3460

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Current location

11
St Wendreda's Church
Church Street
March
Fenland
Cambridgeshire
PE15 9PY
England

OS Grid Ref: TL 41525 95244
Denomination: Church of England

View location on Google Maps
Description
Portland stone memorial bearing a Welsh black slate tablet with carved laurel wreath framing it. Below is a plain metal plaque mounted onto a wooden backboard Coloured badge of Royal Australian Air Force at the top of the wreath
Inscription
TABLET: IN MEMORIAM/ PILOT OFFICER/ J.W.HOCKING/ ROYAL AUSTRALIAN/ AIR FORCE/ 28TH JULY 1944/ AGED 21 YEARS FRAMED ARTICLE: PILOT OFFICER J.W. HOCKING WAS IN COMMAND OF A SHORT STIRLING/ BOMBER, SERIAL NO. LJ451 FLYING TOWARDS MARCH./ FUEL TANKS ALMOST FULL. A FIRE BEGAN IN THE INNER/ ENGINE. THE OTHER THREE ENGINES QUICKLY CUT OUT. PILOT OFFICER/ HOCKING ORDERED HIS CREW TO BALE OUT AND REMAINED AT THE/ CONTROLS TO PREVENT A CRASH ON THE TOWN./ THE ARIRCRAFT CAME DOWN IN KNIGHT'S END ROAD. 3/4 MILE SOUTH/ WEST OF THIS CHURCH AND VERY CLOSE TO THE ROYAL OBSERVER CORPS/ OBSERVATION POST. THE BRAVE YOUNG AUSTRALIAN LOST HIS LIFE./ THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF MARCH AND UNVEILED ON 28TH JULY, 1988.
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 2
    Served and returned: 1
    Died: 1
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: rank,year died,regiment,place of death,age of death,additional
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Tablet
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Slate - Welsh
  • Plaque
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stainless Steel
  • Frame
    Measurements: depth 65MM, height 750MM, width 720MM
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Backboard
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Wood
Listing information
  • CHURCH OF ST WENDREDA
  • Grade I
  • This memorial is protected, and listed on the National Heritage List for England maintained by Historic England. View list entry
  • More about listing and the protection of historic places can be found on the Historic England website
  • Historic England
Condition
Costs

Site: £2685+VAT

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Responsibility
PCC
Reference
  • Cambridge Times - March
  • Video of Unveiling & Dedication Ceremony - March Museum
  • The Stirling Bomber - Faber - Auth. Michael F Bowyer

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-3460

For queries, please contact [email protected].