LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Brian Joseph HALSE
Service No: 402236
Born: Wellington, New Zealand, 10 March 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 22 July 1940 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 457 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 457 Squadron Spitfire aircraft AD563), English Channel, 26 March 1942, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Neville and Margaret Ann Halse, of Bondi, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 110, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1335 hours on 26 March 1942 Spitfire AD563 flown by Flying Officer Halse was one of 12 aircraft which took off detailed to carry out Ramrod sortie to Le Havre, France. The aircraft remained in formation until near Le Havre when they encountered enemy aircraft at 20,000 feet. It was believed that AD563 was attacked by an FW190 and it was seen diving steeply from 2,000 feet with smoke issuing from the rear. AD563 failed to return to base and Flying Officer Halse was reported missing.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/35/174