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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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241 crest
27th April 1943 241 Squadron Hurricane IIC HW745 Fl/Lt. Hamlet

Operation: Tank attack

Date: 27th April 1943 (Tuesday)

Unit: No. 241 Squadron. 324 Wing, 242 Group, North African Tactical Air Force

Type: Hurricane IIC

Serial: HW745

Code: RZ-?

Base: Souk El Khemis Tunisia (now Algeria)

Location: Pont du Fahas

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Joseph Aylmer Hamlet Aus/403584 RAAF Age 25. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Take off at 13:40 hrs. with 11 other Hurribombers tasked with attacking eight Tiger tanks about 6 miles north of Pont du Fahas.

He was seen to be hit by anti-aircraft fire and bursting into flames and crashing into the enemy positions at 14:15 hrs. His body eventually found by the 56 Heavy Regiment and buried near Pont du Fahas and the Tunis road. Reinterred later at the Enfidaville War Cemetery.

Just two days earlier he had been involved in a forced landing, but returned safe the following day.

Burial details:

Fl/Lt. Joseph Aylmer Hamlet. Enfidaville War Cemetery. Grave V.F. 29. Born on the 08th October 1917 at Christchurch, New Zealand - moved to Australia. Worked as a shipping clerk for the Matson Navigation Company prior to service. Enlisted 23rd July 1940 in Sydney. Received Pilots Badge 19th December 1941. Son of Joseph William and Lydia Maud Hamlet , of Randwick, New South Wales, Australia. Grave inscription: 'His Duty Nobly Done. His Courage Supreme'. He was registered with the name of Thomas William Aylmer Hamlet but wished to be known as Joseph Aylmer Hamlet while serving with the Royal Australian Air Force.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, AWMM, Weekly News of New Zealand, NAA, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 28-01-2021

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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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