Nambour's heroic son remembered

James “Jim” Wallace Hocking was born in Nambour as the second child of William and Eva Hocking’s five children.

When war was declared in 1939, three Hocking boys were ready to sign up. In 1941, Bill Hocking, the eldest brother at 18, enlisted in the Australian Army. Another Hocking son, Colin soon followed and enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force at the end of 1942.

As soon as Jim turned 18, he enlisted with the Citizens Military Forces before being discharged after four months to take up acceptance into the Royal Australian Air Force on September, 1942.

His appointment was for the duration of WWII and given his initial advanced pilot training in Australia, he was then sent to England to train on the heavy bombers of the RAF.

Jim paid the ultimate sacrifice

On July 28, 1944, Royal Australian Air Force Pilot Officer Jim Hocking was captaining a Short Stirling bomber LJ451 during night training when flames appeared from the inner starboard engine.

The plane started to lose power when engine two cut out with the other engines soon following.

Pilot Officer Hocking ordered the crew of six to put on their parachutes and abandon the aircraft.

He too had time to leave but told the last member of crew not to wait for him as he was going to try and stop the plane from hitting the town and he would see them soon.

The last the crew member saw was young Jim Hocking at the controls trying to manoeuvre the bomber away from the township of March.

Because of this act of bravery, the Stirling Bomber plunged into a field about a kilometre from the town, saving many lives.

Pilot Officer Hocking had saved the town but lost his life as he died on impact.

He is buried far from Australian soil in Cambridge Cemetery where the inscription on his headstone reads, ‘Nobly he lived. Nobly he died. Remembered.’

We will remember him

In 1987, residents of the town of March gathered to honour this remarkable man they had never met. There is a memorial to him at March's St Wendreda's Church and a permanent display about his life in the town's museum.

Star of Courage

In 2016 Jim Hocking was awarded posthumous the Star of Courage the second highest decoration for Australian bravery.

Sister City with England's Fenland District

Although his heroism went largely unknown for 42 years, his bravery resulted in the Sister City agreement between England’s Fenland District Council and the Maroochy Shire Council in 1997.