Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Caroline A Hill

1859 –16/04/1937

Wife of a coachbuilder and grandmother of James Hill with whom she is buried

• Melanie Hilton

Plot 934 Caroline A Hill (1859-1937)

Caroline was born in 1859 in Hereford and married James Hill a coachbuilder.

Their children James A (1880), Florence E (1882), Milly M (1884) and John Charles (1885) were all born in Aston, Birmingham.

Caroline died 16 April 1937 at Chestnut Drive, Berkhamsted, the home of her son John Charles. She was aged 81. Buried in this grave is her grandson James Grainger Hill, the son of John Charles, who died in 1942.

James Grainger Hill (1921-1942)

1920 –22/03/1942

Served in WWII, Royal Air Force

  View CWGC record

• Janice Boakes

Aircraftman 1st Class 651522
Royal Air Force

James was the eldest son of John Charles and Rose née Harris. He was born in Aston near Birmingham in 1920. The family soon moved to Berkhamsted where James’s younger brother Norman was born in December 1921. When he left school, James worked at the paper mill in Apsley.

He joined the Royal Air Force as a regular in March 1938. He was promoted to Leading Aircraftman in early 1942. His parents lived in Chestnut Drive and he was home on leave in March 1942. He returned back to his billet in York via the late train and was in good health on arrival. The following morning, 22 March 1942, his billet-mate found him dead. He was 21 years old. His body was brought back to Berkhamsted where he was buried with service honours.