Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War ‘Bomber Command’ D.F.C. group of six awarded to Flying Officer T. D. Halbert, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was Flight Engineer of a Lancaster of No. 83 Squadron, Path Finder Force, which was shot down over Germany in April 1944

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1944, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, these five in card box of issue (no address label) with named Air Council enclosure (Flying Officer T. D. Halbert, D.F.C.) and medal entitlement slip, extremely fine (6) £1,400-£1,800

D.F.C. London Gazette 27 June 1944.

Thomas David Halbert was born in Scotland in 1913, son of Matthew and Henrietta Halbert, of Maybole, Ayrshire. He joined up on the outbreak of the war and was an Air Gunner in 83 Squadron P.F.F. He was acting as Flight Engineer aboard Lancaster ND499 OL-J on his 62nd mission which was detailed to carry out an attack on Schweinfurt on the night of the 26/27th April 1944, taking off from R.A.F. Coningsby at 21.29 hours. At some point on the outward leg in the vicinity of Strassburg, OL-J was shot down by a night-fighter and crashed near Goldscheuer, a large village 9k south of Kehl. It is recorded as being seen burning and exploding as it fell to the ground. The aircraft was carrying one pack of Green target indicators, one pack of Yellow target indicators, as well as 12,500lbs of bombs and around 1,000 gallons of aviation fuel and miscellaneous other pyrotechnic devices. Such was the inferno that, of the seven man crew, only the remains of the navigator could be positively identified. With the exception of the navigator, the crew are all buried in a communal grave in Durnbach War Cemetery, Bavaria.

According to Theo Boiten’s book on the night-fighter claims, this matches a claim by Oblt. Helmuth Schulte of 4/NJG5 for his 12th victory of the 23 he claimed by the end of the war. Sold with copied research.