HX345 Halifax III HD-Y
  
28th January 1944
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  Pilot   P/O G B Coombes RAAF - P.O.W.
         
  2nd Pilot F/O R D Hughes - P.O.W.
         
  Flight Engineer Sgt J T Causier - P.O.W.
         
  Navigator P/O L D Anderson RAAF
      left to right:- PO G B Coombes. P/O L D Anderson. P/O C J Trotman. F/S P P Balderston.
  Bomb Aimer P/O R R Last - P.O.W.  
         
  Wireless Operator & Air Gunner   F/S P P Balderston RAAF - P.O.W.  
         
  Mid Upper Gunner  Sgt R Nelson  
         
  Rear Gunner   P/O C J Trotman RAAF  
         
Take off :- 00:25 Base :- RAF Leconfield Mission :- Berlin
     
Details :- After being hit by flak and losing an engine they elected to carry on. They were then shot down by two Ju88's from 20,000ft and came down at Blesdorf, 10km East South East from the centre of Berlin.
     
Sgt Nelson is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
     
P/O Anderson and P/O Trotman were buried in Elsgrund near Berlin until 1949 before being re-buried in the Berlin 1939 - 1945 War Cemetery.
     
P/O Coombes - PoW number is 1810 in camps 9C/L3.
F/O Hughes - PoW number is 1064 in camps L6/L4.
Sgt Causier - PoW number is 1090 in camps L6/357.
P/O Last - PoW number is 3575 in camp L3.
F/S Balderston - PoW number is 970 in camps L6/357.
     
 Photo of P/O R R Last kindly donated by his daughter Sheila Leech
Crew photo courtesy of Australian War Memorial
     

 
Any further information then please contact me using the address below.
 
halifaxlv827@yahoo.co.uk