James Chilton Francis Hayter
Born 18 Oct 1917 - Died 3 Oct 2006
- Service number
- WWII NZ36207 AWMM
- WWII 36207 AWMM
- NZ2349, RAF36207, 130326Public - Antonio - Researcher - 19 September 2025 - By Such Deeds, p.240: Hanson
- Also known as
- Jim AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- WW2 Squadron Leader AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- James Chilton Francis AWMM
- Surname
- Hayter AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Jim AWMM
- Service number
- WWII NZ36207 AWMM
- WWII 36207 AWMM
- NZ2349, RAF36207, 130326Public - Antonio - Researcher - 19 September 2025 - By Such Deeds, p.240: Hanson
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 18 Oct 1917 AWMM
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- —
- Post war occupation
- Next of kin
- WW2 Mr G.G. Hayter, Timaru, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 1939 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- Europe (Air) AWMM
- 1940 AWMM Battle of Britain AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Service number
- WWII NZ36207 AWMM
- WWII 36207 AWMM
- NZ2349, RAF36207, 130326Public - Antonio - Researcher - 19 September 2025 - By Such Deeds, p.240: Hanson
- Military service
- Royal Air Force, No. 98 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 103 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 615 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 605 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 611 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 33 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 274 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 74 Squadron AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Distinguished Flying Cross and bar (DFC*) AWMM
DFC. 17.10.1941. DFC Bar. 26.1.1945 AWMM - 1939-45 Star (Battle of Britain clasp) AWMM
- War Medal 1939-1945 with oak leaf AWMM
- Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM
MiD. 14.1.1944; 8.6.1944 AWMM - New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM
- Distinguished Flying Cross and bar (DFC*) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- PilotPublic - Antonio - Researcher - 19 September 2025 - By Such Deeds, p.240: Hanson
- Enlistment
- Inter War Nov 1938 AWMM
Age 21 AWMM
Farmer/Civilian AWMM - RNZAF 29 November 1939 to 28 December 1945Public - John - Researcher - 7 January 2026 - By Such Deeds Colin Hanson
- Inter War Nov 1938 AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Pilot Officer AWMM Royal New Zealand Air Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- —
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW2 28 Dec 1945 AWMM
Transferred to Reserve of Officers AWMM
Squadron Leader AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Father of Stephen. Brother of Graham and Adrian
Commanded 274 Squadron in the Western Desert
Portrait in Brodie (2006). Portrait in Wynn, K. (1981). The Battle of Britain: 10 July - 31 October 1940 AWMM - This Weta Workshop Mannequin of James Hayter was made by volunteer Rodger Beardsworth. It is on display at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre Blenheim New Zealand.Public - Ian Banks - Researcher - 16 May 2020 - Research
- "Mr Hayter (...) was shot down four times in World War II. On one of these occasions, in North Africa, his nemesis was an Italian pilot - whom the New Zealander then shot down in the same dogfight. They shared a drink that night in the Australian lines.
Earlier, when Mr Hayter was shot down during the Battle of Britain, he parachuted into the grounds of a country house, was invited to a cocktail party and then was picked up by his fiancee, a New Zealander living nearby. She later became his wife.
On the Greek island of Kos, he and other pilots had to take to the hills when Germans over-ran their airfield. One of them fired at Mr Hayter from 20m away but missed."Public - Ella - Researcher - 6 August 2017 - King, E. (2006). Heroes' sacrifices finally recognised. New Zealand Herald (Monday October 16 2006).
- Father of Stephen. Brother of Graham and Adrian
About death
- Death
- 3 Oct 2006 AWMM
- Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- —
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- —
- Cemetery name
- Wakapuaka Cemetery Nelson New ZealandPublic - Ian Banks - Researcher - 16 May 2020 - Research
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- —
Sources
- External links
- Brodie, I. Captain Harold Francis Beamish. New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum
http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/article.asp?id=hayter
Further Reference - Battle of Britain Historical Society website.
http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/
Further Reference - https://www.northlincsweb.net/103Sqn/html/jimmy_hayter_103_sqn.html
Further Reference - See a list of New Zealanders awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp here (PDF). Compiled with the assistance of Errol Martyn and linked from the NZHistory page produced by Manatū Taonga, Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/nz-battle-of-britain-list.pdf
Further Reference - Battle of Britain: Allied Pilots, Aircrew Remembered
https://aircrewremembered.com/BattleOfBritainDatabase/battlebritain-alpha-list.html
Further Reference - Wikipedia contributors. (2025, November 15). List of World War II aces from New Zealand. In Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_aces_from_New_Zealand
Further Reference - James Chilton Francis Hayter :
https://aircrewremembered.com/-de-la-perrelle-victor-breton.htmlPublic - Kelvin - Researcher - 17 February 2024 - https://aircrewremembered.com/-de-la-perrelle-victor-breton.html
- Brodie, I. Captain Harold Francis Beamish. New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum
- References
- Information kindly provided by family
Correspondence with family - Hanson, C. (2001). By such deeds: honours and awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923-1999. Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
p. 240-241 - Wynn, K. (1981). A clasp for "The Few". Auckland. N.Z.: Author.
p. 187-194 - Thompson, H. (1956). New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vols. 1-3). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
Vol. 1, pp. 99, 226, 236; Vol. 2, pp. 299, 354; Vol. 3, p. 83. - Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
- Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2012). New Zealanders serving with RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, 10 July – 31 October 1940. [A list compiled by Ministry for Culture and Heritage with Errol Martyn].
- RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] - Historical Items - List of New Zealand Fighter aces with their Scores (Unofficial) December 1944. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R17845799).
- Royal New Zealand Air Force. (1941–1945). Contact: National magazine of the R.N.Z.A.F.; the official organ of the Air Force Association (Inc.). Levin, New Zealand: Royal New Zealand Air Force.
V7,n3,p60
- Information kindly provided by family
The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.
Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.