53rd (London) Medium Regiment RA TA HALFORD TN DUNKIRK 29/05/1940 2/LT 126300 Killed when a bomb hit the destroyer he was on TD
HMS Grenade and HMS Jaguar were hit off Dunkirk, Grenade sank https://ww2db.com/event/today/05/29/1940
HMS Grenade, destroyer 29th Return passage to beaches from Dover with HM Destroyers GALLANT and JAGUAR. Under air attacks without damage. During evacuation from East Pier, Dunkirk came under further air attacks and hit by three bombs that caused significant damage and started fires. Attempt to tow ship clear was unsuccessful and ship was abandoned as fires could not be controlled. When fire reached magazines later the ship blew up. HMS Jaguar, destroyer 29th Deployed with HM Destroyers GRENADE and GALLANT to assess the strength of shore batteries at La Panne Embarked 370 troops inside harbour at Dunkirk under air attacks and sustained damage when HMS GRENADE, berthed alongside, was hit by bomb and sank. On return passage to Dover came under further air attack and disabled by near miss . Unable to proceed and some troops transferred to another ship which established tow. Restored power and arrived at Dover under own steam. 30th Repair arranged at Immingham and took passage to Humber. TD Dunkirk evacuation May 1940 Along the east mole, destroyer GRENADE was sunk at 1602 by German bombing. Fourteen ratings were killed and four more dying of wounds. Destroyer JAGUAR, alongside GRENADE outboard, was badly damaged at 1600 by German bombing. Destroyer JAGUAR was hit by one bomb. One boiler room out of action, her hull was holed, there was damage to oil tanks and her engine room. Thirteen ratings were killed and nineteen crew, including LtF. Bruen, were wounded. The troops on destroyer JAGUAR were transferred to other ships. Destroyer EXPRESS towed JAGUAR out into the channel. Destroyer JAGUAR was able to make most of the voyage back to Dover on her own, but off Dover she was joined by tug SIMLA (144grt) which towed her into Dover. Destroyer JAGUAR departed Dover at 1620/31st in company of destroyer GALLANT and was repaired at Immingham in sixteen days.
Thanks all. We'll submit the Killed at Sea document to exclude him from the list of possibilities. Intrigued to know what actual regiment he was with though.
Hi Drew5233 I have just come back on here as I'm still not well but when I'm feeling better I will be on here more. I saw you were trying to find Lieutenant Thomas Halford, now I always thought he was killed in a ship, but having done more research over the last 3 years reading and looking at Lt Col Brazier's Diary, from the 27th to the 30th in which Halford isn't mentioned once, and because a lot of the battle on the 29th took place around the canal near La Panne, and I was wondering if he drowned in the canal after being wounded and fell in, or got caught in the heavy bombing by Stukas. There was an attachment from the 210 defending a bridge and quite a few of those brave souls were killed defending it and are buried in La Panne. hope that helps. Thanks and my apologies for not getting back to you sooner Keith
