The poignant Second War Lancaster pilot’s ‘immediate’ D.F.M. group of five awarded to Flight Sergeant T. W. J. Hall, 106 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who flew in 4 operational sorties, during which he was awarded the D.F.M. for his 2nd - Berlin, 24 March 1944 - and was killed in action whilst trying to save his crew during the disastrous Nuremberg Raid, 30/31 March 1944. The ‘body of the pilot [Hall] was found near the wreckage. This brave young man’s operational career had lasted less than a week. He never knew that he had been awarded the D.F.M. for his good work on the Berlin raid.’

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1333525 F/Sgt. T. W. J. Hall. R.A.F.) on investiture pin; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, generally good very fine (lot) £2,000-£2,400

D.F.M. London Gazette 18 April 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘Flight Sergeant Hall was Captain of an aircraft detailed to attack Berlin on the night of 24th/25th March, 1944. On arrival in the target area, he found that he had over-shot and that the Pathfinder Force marking was in progress behind him. He was also in contact with the "Master of Ceremonies" who was heard giving instructions to bomb the markers. Flight Sergeant Hall then did a left-hand circuit and came in again from the North. By this time, he was 12 minutes late and the target was not well marked. Despite this, he made a straight run in and bombed his target successfully. On the return journey, he found himself over the Ruhr area. Here, his aircraft was suddenly coned by numerous searchlights and subjected to intense predicted heavy flak which caused severe damage to the port mainplane, the rear turret, the Bomb Aimer's compartment, the underside of the fuselage and the port inner and outer engines, the latter of which caught fire. Flight Sergeant Hall here displayed exceptional skill and coolness in extricating his aircraft from this most perilous position. By excellent crew co-operation, the fire was extinguished, the engine feathered and the badly damaged aircraft and crew landed safely back at Base. It was this N.C.O.'s first operational sortie as Captain of aircraft and throughout he showed exceptional courage and skill. He displayed outstanding determination in returning to press home his attack and his skilful pilotage and cool determination under extremely difficult conditions are deserving of the highest praise. I consider Flight Sergeant Hall's courage, skill and devotion to duty fully deserve the immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal. 27th March, 1944.

Remarks by Base Commander: Flight Sergeant Hall's action in pressing home his attack in the prevailing circumstances showed great determination and courage and was only surpassed by his coolness and skill in extricating his aircraft from the unenviable position in which he found himself on the way home. I strongly support the recommendation for the immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.’

Thomas William John Hall was the son of William Thomas Hall and Emily Hall, of Wraysbury, Buckinghamshire. Hall joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1942. He carried out his initial training as a pilot at No. 15 E.F.T.S., Carlisle and 31 E.F.T.S., De Winton, Calgary, Canada. Hall carried out further training at No. 38 S.F.T.S., Estevan and No. 6 P.A.F.U., Windrush. After gaining his ‘Wings’ at No. 17 O.T.U., Silverstone in November 1943, Hall was posted to No. 1661 Conversion Unit, Winthorpe (Sterlings) and then on to No. 5 L.F.S., Syerston (Lancasters) in February 1944.

Hall was posted as a pilot for operational flying to 106 Squadron (Lancasters) at Metheringham in March 1944. He flew four operational sorties with the Squadron, including: Frankfurt, 22 March 1944; Berlin, 24 March 1944, Essen, 26 March 1944 and Nuremberg, 30/31 March 1944 (on which night Bomber Command had 95 aircraft shot down - it’s heaviest losses of the entire war on a single raid).

Hall was awarded the ‘immediate’ D.F.M. for his gallantry during only his second operational sortie - to Berlin. Martin Middlebrook gives the following in The Nuremberg Raid, 30-31 March 1944:

‘Six nights earlier, Flight Sergeant Tom Hall of 106 Squadron and his crew had flown to Berlin on the first [sic] operation of their tour. This was the night when unexpectedly violent winds had caused Bomber Command much trouble and seventy-three bombers had been lost. Hall, like many others, had arrived at Berlin too early, but, while others bombed and made for home, Hall did a complete orbit over the heavily defended city before bombing. On the return flight the winds took them, again like many others, over the Ruhr where his Lancaster was hit by Flak and two engines took fire. Hall brought his crew home after a desperate flight, although the Lancaster was written off.

Now Hall was on his second [sic] operation [the Nuremberg Raid, 30/31 March 1944]. On the Long Leg his aircraft was hit in the bomb bay and petrol tanks. Sergeant Dack, the wireless operator, describes what happened:

“The Skipper [Hall] said, ‘It’s time to get out. Get out everyone.’ I was a careful sort of bloke and I always kept my parachute underneath my seat. I put it on but then she went down with all four engines flat out. It went through my mind that it was just like a scene from one of those American films with the aircraft going screaming down out of control. Once that started, I knew we couldn’t get out. I was thrown on top of the navigator and we were rolling about together. I remember my face being pressed against two dials which I remembered were in the roof so I knew we were upside down. I tried to prod the navigator up towards the front to get out of the front hatch. There was all the time the awful thought that we had a Blockbuster on board which went off on impact. I forgot that we wouldn’t have survived the impact ourselves.

Then there was an almighty explosion and I was sent spinning. I thought we had hit the ground but it eventually dawned on me that I was in the air. Then, something whooshed past my face and I was sitting nice and peacefully up in the sky under my parachute. I remember shouting for my wife - I was apologising because I had promised to be home on Saturday”

Only Dack and the flight engineer survived this explosion. The body of the pilot [Hall] was found near the wreckage. This brave young man’s operational career had lasted less than a week. He never knew that he had been awarded the D.F.M. for his good work on the Berlin raid.’

The crew’s belief in their pilot’s ability after the Berlin raid is illustrated in a letter to Hall’s mother from the mother of his mid-upper gunner (Tony Poole), dated 6 May 1944:

‘What you may not know is the great confidence Tony and all the rest of the crew had in your son. Tony told me that night [whilst on leave after the Berlin sortie] when he came, he said “Don’t worry mother if ever I’m reported missing, I shall come back. If Tommy can get us through that he can get us through anything.”

Sadly Flight Sergeant Hall’s luck ran out, and he was killed in action during the Nuremberg Raid, 30/31 March 1944. He is buried in the Hanover War Cemetery, Germany.

Sold with the following related items and documents: R.A.F. cloth pilot’s wings and cap badge; Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Book (covering the period May 1942 - 30 March 1944) stamped ‘Death Presumed. Central Depository Royal Air Force June 1946’; Transmittal slip for log book addressed to ‘W. T. Hall, Esq., 10 Douglas Lane, Wraysbury, Bucks’, and dated 29 June 1946; and a poignant typed letter written to recipient’s parents by the mother of a crewman, dated 6 May 1944.