Pictured right: John, at Veterans Memorial Lodge.
In early 2024, John Hillman moved to Veterans Memorial Lodge, a Broadmead Care Home, already a bit of a celebrity thanks to his media presence since 2020. At 100 years old, John began walking to raise money for Save the Children, completing a lap around the lot for every year of his life. All that walking has raised more than $440,000. From the ground to the air, John’s life has been filled with remarkable experiences, and at 105, he shows no signs of slowing down.
Born in Wales as one of five siblings, John joined the Royal Air Force before the Second World War, sharing, “It was the height of depression in Wales and there were no jobs for youngsters.” At 17, he enlisted in 1937 with his father’s permission, as he was under the standard enlistment age of 18. He trained as a wireless operator, a role that took him to France, South Africa, Italy, and Burma.
“I didn’t win the war, but I did a little part, a little tiny part,” he humbly remarked.
His son-in-law, Ralph McDiarmid, is writing a detailed account of his wartime experiences titled Two Angels on My Shoulders, which refers to two critical moments when fate spared John’s life. One instance was in France when he wasn’t selected for a mission to bomb bridges. “The squadron was more or less annihilated,” McDiarmid noted. The second instance occurred when he was en route to the coast to meet a troop ship. The port had been attacked, and the ship sunk the day before, resulting in thousands of deaths. “By not getting on that troop ship the day before, he was spared again,” McDiarmid said.
John and his late wife, Irene, married on December 27, 1941, just a few months after meeting in a mess hall on an English Airforce base. Irene worked for the Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes, while John was sent there after nine months in France during the early days of the war. After a year of marriage, John was shipped overseas for over three years, returning in 1946 and being medically discharged a few years later. He then worked for English Electric for more than three decades. In 1999, John and Irene moved from the UK to Victoria to be closer to family.
John was humble about his wartime service, always emphasizing the small part he played, though in reality, his contributions were significant.
*** On July 8th, at the age of 105, John passed away peacefully at Veterans Memorial Lodge, a Broadmead Care Home. It was our honour to serve John during his time living at the Lodge, and to have the opportunity to learn more about his remarkable life story.
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