Charles Frederick William Hiley

.........continuing the series on Hileys/Highleys killed in WW2.

Charles Frederick William Hiley is the only Hiley listed as a 'Civilian War Death' in WW1 or WW2. He was injured in Westminster, London on 3rd July 1944 and died in Westminster Hospital the same day.

Charles was born in Lambeth in 1909, the son of Charles William and Ethel. He married Freda Hughes in 1937 in Uxbridge. The 1939 Register showed Charles and Freda living in Ruislip-Northwood. The entry for his occupation is 'Book Keeper & Clerk Chemical Merchants Office and Full Time Auxiliary Fireman'.

Charles was a Fireman with the National Fire Service.

Soon after the successful D-Day landings in north western France on 6 June 1944 Hitler launched a final air assault on London using V-Weapons (Vengeance Weapons). Between 13 June 1944 and 29 March 1945 over 3000 of these hit the capital and its suburbs. Almost 9000 people were killed and at least 24000 others were seriously injured.

The first of these weapons were V1 flying bombs (known to Londoners as ‘Doodlebugs’). In the City of Westminster, from 18 June to 27 August 1944, 30 V1s killed 267 people, seriously injured 663 and otherwise injured over 1,000 others.

The circumstances of Charles's death are not known but it is possible that he was on duty as a fireman at the time dealing with the result of a V1 bomb attack on Westminster.

Firemen in London train their hoses on burning buildings following an air raid during the Blitz

Men of the National Fire Service listen for survivors following a V1 attack

Pictures in the Public Domain