Cyril John Percy Hill was born at Belvedere, Kent in England on 14 February 1884 to parents George and Mary Hill. His father was Vice Admiral George William Hill of the Royal Navy and his older brother, Commander Hubert George Morgan Hill of the Royal Navy who, like Cyril, fought in both world wars and was Mentioned in Despatches.

Hill joined the Navy in 1912 as an acting lieutenant serving on HMAS Encounter. In 1913 he was transferred to the HMAS Parramatta and served on HMAS Parramatta for the entire First World War. HMAS Parramatta served alongside the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) in New Britain and as part of the British Adriatic force in the Pacific. Hill attained the rank of commander in 1921 and between 1919 and 1929 he served on over 11 Australian Ships. During the Second World War, Hill served with the Navy as the commander of HMS Stoke and HMS Folkestone. He received a Mention in Despatches on 1 January 1942. Cyril Hill died on 23 April 1965 at the age of 81.