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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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26 Squadron Crest
19.05.1940 No. 26 Squadron Lysander II N1290 P/O. Christopher I.D. Halliday

Operation: Tactical Reconnaissance, France

Date: 19th May 1940 (Sunday)

Unit: No. 26 Squadron

Type: Westland Lysander MkII

Serial: N1290

Code: RM-?

Base: ALG, Authie, France

Location: West of Authie France

Pilot: P/O. Christopher Ian Dunbar Halliday 33424 RAF Age 28. Killed

Air/Gnr: LAC. Arthur Frederick Church 936538 RAFVR Age 25. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Probably shot down by Fw. Willi Kothmann 2./JG 27 at 05:30 hrs

.

This wreckage excavated in December 2003 by Pierre Ben. Many pieces recovered and placed on display included the complete Perseus XII engine, propeller hub and two blades, Vickers K machine gun, service revolver, intact control column, RPM counter, and various other relics.

Excavation of the crash site by Pierre Ben with his team


Burial details:

P/O. Christopher Ian Dunbar Halliday. Authie Churchyard, Authie, France. Of Andover, Hants, England. No further details - are you able to assist?

LAC. Arthur Frederick Church. Authie Churchyard, Authie, France. Son of Frederick Arthur and Florence Caroline Church, of New Eltham, London, England.

Researched by Michel Beckers for Aircrew Remembered in March 2016. With thanks to Pierre Ben for crash site photographs, Barry Cuttell for use of grave photographs and Pierre Vandervelden via Mrs. Angela Berry for photo of P/O. Halliday. Other sources as quoted below.

MB - 13.03.2016 Excavation photos added 25.03.2016

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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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