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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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486 Squadron Crest
27.12.1944 No. 486 Squadron Tempest V EJ627 SA-E F/O. Hall

Operation: Armed reconnaissance

Date: 27th December 1944 (Wednesday)

Unit: No. 486 Squadron (122 Wing, 83 Group)

Type: Tempest V

Serial: EJ627

Code: SA-E

Base: Volkel, Netherlands

Location: Handorf, Germany

Pilot: F/O. Bevan Mason Hall NZ/421705 RNZAF Age 22. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 12:23 hrs with 7 others from the squadron on an armed reconnaissance operation to Paderborn. They were then redirected to Münster.

Once there they were involved in a massive air battle with upwards of 65 Luftwaffe fighters. Breaking away F/O. Hall went to assist one of his fellow squadron members but was then immediately shot down with his aircraft coming down on the Handorf - Dorbaum road close to the airfield, his aircraft exploding on impact.

He was buried midway on the 29th December at the Haus-Spital prisoner of war cemetery in Münster. Sadly, during post war searchers by search teams his grave could not be found, perhaps because of previous disturbance by allied exhumation units. Today, F/O. Bevan Hall is now remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

Burial details:

F/O. Bevan Mason Hall. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 262. No further details on next of kin but understood to be from Palmerston North, New Zealand. Perhaps you could assist with this? A total of 628 flying hours logged and on his 165th operational sortie.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 11.08.2018

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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