Can anyone please look up Flying Officer Thomas David Halbert DFC air Gunner of 83 Sqn who is listed on the CWGC as date of death 27/4/44 . It doesnt say what occured . I was interested to hear if he died a POW or as a result of Enemy Action Thanks for reading this
Undoubtedly enemy action:- Name: BOSWELL, ALAN. Rank: Flight Lieutenant (Air Bomber) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Age: 36. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 125638 Additional information: Son of Mary Ida Sibella Boswell; husband of Margaret Esther Boswell, of Kensington, London. Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: COLLETT, ALBERT LESLIE. Rank: Squadron Leader (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 45448. Awards: A F C Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: FRAZER, ROBERT. Rank: Flying Officer (W.Op.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 53739. Awards: D F C Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: HALBERT, THOMAS DAVID. Rank: Flying Officer (Air Gnr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Age: 30. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 160855. Awards: D F C Additional information: Son of Matthew and Henrietta Leslie Halbert, of Maybole, Ayrshire; husband of Annie McCallum Halbert, of Killochan, Ayrshire. Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: MASON, HUGH. Rank: Flying Officer (Air Gnr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Age: 29. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 130794. Awards: D F M Additional information: Son of Leonard and Lucy Mason, of Fincham, Norfolk. Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: WILLIAMS, DAVID LAING. Rank: Flight Lieutenant (Nav.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Age: 23. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 129004. Awards: D F C Additional information: Son of Stanley and Agnes Laing Williams, of Glasgow. Grave/Memorial Reference: 3. H. 7. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY All share a communal grave, so a catastrophic crash whereby none could be individually identified. At least they share the same comradeship in death as in life. A very highly decorated crew, one of 2 aircraft lost by 83 Squadron that night. Ah, thought there should be one more, judging by the plot numbers... Name: TOLLEY, DIRK EVERARD. Nationality: Australian. Rank: Flying Officer Regiment/Service: Royal Australian Air Force Age: 20. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 417286 Additional information: Son of Eric Everard and Joyce Athol Tolley, of North Adelaide, South Australia. Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY
Undoubtedly enemy action:- Name: BOSWELL, ALAN. Rank: Flight Lieutenant (Air Bomber) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Age: 36. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 125638 Additional information: Son of Mary Ida Sibella Boswell; husband of Margaret Esther Boswell, of Kensington, London. Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: COLLETT, ALBERT LESLIE. Rank: Squadron Leader (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 45448. Awards: A F C Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: FRAZER, ROBERT. Rank: Flying Officer (W.Op.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 53739. Awards: D F C Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: HALBERT, THOMAS DAVID. Rank: Flying Officer (Air Gnr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Age: 30. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 160855. Awards: D F C Additional information: Son of Matthew and Henrietta Leslie Halbert, of Maybole, Ayrshire; husband of Annie McCallum Halbert, of Killochan, Ayrshire. Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: MASON, HUGH. Rank: Flying Officer (Air Gnr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Age: 29. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 130794. Awards: D F M Additional information: Son of Leonard and Lucy Mason, of Fincham, Norfolk. Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: WILLIAMS, DAVID LAING. Rank: Flight Lieutenant (Nav.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 83 Sqdn. Age: 23. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 129004. Awards: D F C Additional information: Son of Stanley and Agnes Laing Williams, of Glasgow. Grave/Memorial Reference: 3. H. 7. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY All share a communal grave, so a catastrophic crash whereby none could be individually identified. At least they share the same comradeship in death as in life. A very highly decorated crew, one of 2 aircraft lost by 83 Squadron that night. Ah, thought there should be one more, judging by the plot numbers... Name: TOLLEY, DIRK EVERARD. Nationality: Australian. Rank: Flying Officer Regiment/Service: Royal Australian Air Force Age: 20. Date of Death: 27/04/1944. Service No: 417286 Additional information: Son of Eric Everard and Joyce Athol Tolley, of North Adelaide, South Australia. Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. H. 8-13. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Thanks for reply, that answers the question m
26-27 Apr 1944 83 Sqn Lancaster III ND499 OL-J OP: Schweinfurt S/L A L Collett AFC + P/O T D Halbert DFC + F/L D L Williams DFC + F/L A Boswell + P/O R Frazer DFC + F/O D E Tolley RAAF + F/O H Mason DFM + T/o 2129 Coningsby. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed near Goldscheuer, a large village 9 km S of Kehl. All were buried at Goldscheuer, since when their bodies have been taken to the war cemetery at Durnbach. F/O Mason had flown his first tour with 103 Squadron and details of his award had been Gazetted on 21 November 1941. At 36, F/L Boswell was above the average age of operational aircrew. BCL 1944 Volume 5 W R Chorley
Hi Tommy Halbert was my grandmothers cousin. We have a report from a local paper in Ayrshire after he was posted as missing. If you're still interested I'll type it in next time I'm home.
Thanks for posting. I did see a report from an Ayrshire news paper re him going missing Thanks again Max
