Editing Benny Hill (section)

== Early life ==
Alfred Hawthorne Hill was born 21 January 1924 (although some sources give his birth year as 1925) in [[Southampton]], Hampshire.<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite news |last=Wolff |first=Craig |author-link=Craig Wolff |date=21 April 1992 |title=Benny Hill, 67 ''[sic]'', English Comedian And Creator of TV Show, Is Dead |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/21/arts/benny-hill-67-english-comedian-and-creator-of-tv-show-is-dead.html |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> His father, Alfred Hill (1893–1972), manager of a surgical appliance shop,<ref name=ODNB/> and grandfather, Henry Hill (born 1871), had been [[circus clown]]s. His mother was Helen (''née'' Cave; 1894–1976).<ref name="NYTimes"/>

After leaving [[Taunton's School]] in Southampton, Hill worked at [[Woolworths (United Kingdom)|Woolworths]] and as a milkman, a bridge operator, a driver and a drummer before becoming assistant stage manager with a touring revue.<ref name=sabotimes>{{cite news |url=http://www.sabotagetimes.com/funny/the-truth-about-benny-hill/ | title=The Truth About Benny Hill | last=Collins|first=Andrew | work=[[Sabotage Times]] | date=16 April 2012 | access-date=16 April 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420060429/http://www.sabotagetimes.com/funny/the-truth-about-benny-hill/ | archive-date=20 April 2012 | url-status=usurped }}</ref> He was [[Conscription|called up]] in 1942 and trained as a mechanic in the [[Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers]], [[British Army]]. He served as a mechanic, truck driver and [[searchlight]] operator in [[Normandy]] after September 1944,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jodavidsmeyer.com/combat/military/benny-hill.htm |title=Benny Hill in WWII&nbsp;— British Army |publisher=CombatFan |access-date=22 January 2016}}</ref> and transferred to the [[Combined Services Entertainment]] division before the end of the war.<ref>{{cite news| title = Benny Hill Obituary | newspaper = The Daily Telegraph|location=London| url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/7547472/Benny-Hill.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100423072452/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/7547472/Benny-Hill.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = 23 April 2010| date = 22 April 1992 | access-date =31 March 2012}}</ref>

Inspired by the "star comedians" of British [[music hall]] shows, Hill set out to make his mark in show business.<ref name="BBC Hill">{{cite news |title=Benny Hill saluted by the south |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/hampshire/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8186000/8186192.stm |access-date=15 February 2025 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> He took the nickname of "Benny" in homage to his favourite comedian, [[Jack Benny]].<ref name=sabotimes/>