12. CENTRE Hubert Stuart Ray - A TRAGIC FLYING ACCIDENT

Hubert Stuart Ray was born in Sunderland in 1922  and died as the result of an air accident in 1944. He played in the centres for the club during the first season of the war and while still at school. His father was a coke and coal merchant in Boldon and Hubert was educated at Denstone School where he was vice captain of the cricket team. Prior to this he had gone to Dobbie’s school at Rock Lodge where his sporting talent had also been recognised. He was playing for the school in the summer of 1940 but by August 1941 he had become a pilot officer on probation in the RAF. By November 1942 he had become an instructor and was a flight lieutenant in 1943 when the accident happened. He and another pilot were testing a beau fighter for fuel consumption in the Lake District when the plane crashed. Reports noted that there was snow on the ground and the plane and the two bodies were not discovered for more than a week. He was buried in Mere Knolls Cemetery in Sunderland. Newspaper reports had him playing cricket for Whitburn in 1939 and scoring a century – ‘a grand batsman in the making’. He was only 21.

Beaufighter KW152.  Or full name to Google for more. His dress uniform seems to be on sale (or have been for sale) online  WW2 R.A.F.V.R PILOTS SERVICE DRESS TUNIC DATED 1942 - DBG Militaria

Footnote – Rock Lodge School has been mentioned in recent blogs. It was in Peareth Road, Roker and had James Edgar Dobbie as owner and head teacher. Senior teacher was Durham County Rugby player and cricketer Charles Lodge Adamson. It was a boys prep school and seemed to feed St Peter’s School in York and Sunderland Rugby Club!