Pilot Officer Ross Westlake Hutton was killed in a plane crash in Kenya, Africa on 26 November, 1941. A tragic accident and casualty of the catastrophe of war. Accidental death was a significant cause of death for 10 out of the 40 or 25 % of Old Grammarians who died in WWII and listed on the Carey Roll of Honour.

Ross Hutton only son of Mr Neil and Mrs Maud Hutton, of Longview Rd, North Balwyn and was enrolled at Carey in September 1926 and remained at the School until December 1936, when he gained his Intermediate Certificate.

He took a prominent part in school life, and his likeable disposition won the friendship of staff and boys alike.

In 1933, when he was twelve he was awarded the Henry Meeks Silver Medal. He represented the School in all sports; athletics, (cricket with colours), football, swimming and tennis.

When he left School, he joined the firm of WD & HO Wills, until he enlisted in RAAF in June 1940, when he was 19.

He was presented with his ‘Wings’ in June 1941 and obtained his commission as Pilot Officer in July, and left Australia in August for the Middle East. This was unusual at the time as most pilots, served as ‘Sergeant Pilots and were later promoted to Pilot Officer. 

He was posted to 70 Operational Training Unit, Nakuru in Kenya, a large unit training both fighter and bomber pilots for service in the Middle East and Mediterranean Theatre of Operations. 23 RAAF personnel lost their lives training there, highlighting the danger and perils of flight training. Sadly, Ross was one of this number when his plane, crashed striking a tree. He was 20 years old. 

Another Pilot Officer who was training at Nakuru around the same time has recorded his memories on a web page. Tony Tubbenhauer, provides an account that gives context not only to the rigours and dangers of training but also to the beauty of the scenery and the spectacular wildlife that was so exotic to these young men from the other side of the world.

The 3,000 km journey down the Nile from Cairo aboard a flying boat landed at places like Luxor and Khartoum. They arrived in Nakuru in Kenya on the equator a country of contrasting climate from coastal tropical to the rugged snowy mountains of Kenya and Kilimanjaro.

Nakuru is 6000 feet on the floor of the Rift Valley and enjoys a mild climate however every day huge thunderclouds would build up over the mountains and the rain came down. Tubbenhauer writes that these atmospheric conditions were to cause the trainee pilots problems.

The Blenheim aircraft they flew had been thrashed over Europe before being sent to Kenya and were old and tired. The thin air, caused by altitude and temperature made the aircraft and trainee pilots gasp on take-off as the edge of the airfield approached.

The pilots trained in formation flying, low level bombing, air to ground machine gunning in a nearby volcanic crater and night flying. Lots of extreme low level flying cross country trips across the Rift valley, over the mountains and skimming Lake Victoria. 

They were fascinated with low flying, ‘flashing just below their slipstream leaving a speedboat-like wake on the smooth surface of the lake. On the hill slopes grazing herds of elephants dashed away from their noisy flight path. As they blasted across the lakes huge crocodiles scrambled from the water and large flocks of flamingos flew into the air.

Low flying was dangerous and several pilots lost their lives but this was a dangerous business. Once the pilots and crew returned to the Middle East and were flying battle over Italy these skills were mandatory.

Pilot Officer Ross Hutton in his downtime would write to his family and friends. Ten days before his death he had written to his old school friend Rowan Webb, reflecting on the fortunes of Tranter house and and his thoughts on the football writing to Webb that Melbourne deserved the premiership but he would have preferred his team Hawthorn to win the Grand Final premiership.