LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant David I’Anson BLOOMFIELD
Service No: 402721
Born: Summer Hill NSW, 4 January 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 October 1940
Unit: No. 457 Squadron
Died: Air Operations (No. 457 Squadron Spitfire aircraft AB187), Calais area, France, 28 March 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Archie I’Anson Bloomfield and Ethel Bloomfield, of Dee Why, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Manly NSW
Remembered: Panel 111, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Manly ANZAC War Memorial, Manly NSW
On 28 March 1942, Spitfire AB187 flown by Flight Sergeant Bloomfield was one of 12 aircraft detailed to carry out a Rodeo sortie over enemy occupied territory in France. The aircraft took off at 1655 hours and remained in formation until engaged by enemy aircraft in the Calais area at about 17,000 feet. AB187 was shot down and Flight Sergeant Bloomfield was killed.
No. 457 Squadron lost four aircraft in this engagement:
Flight Sergeant David I’Anson Bloomfield (402721) Spitfire AB187
Sergeant James George Edwards (403043) Spitfire KL774
Sergeant Stuart Walter Reilly (402396) Spitfire aircraft – Baled out, Rescued by High Speed Launch, Discharged from the RAAF: 17 August 1945
Sergeant William Henry Wright (402270) Spitfire AA928 – Returned with damaged aircraft, Discharged from the RAAF: 25 March 1946
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
Franks, Norman L R Royal Air Force Fighter Command Losses of the Second World War Volume 2 Operational Losses Aircraft and Crews 1942-1943, Midland Publishing Limited Leicester UK, 1998
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/92/122
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line