LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer William Leonard Verdun HALLETT
Service No: 401504
Born: Warragul VIC, 10 April 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 February 1941
Unit: No. 2 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 2 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit Spitfire aircraft BP914), Libya- Egypt border area, 6 August 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Leonard and Mary Alice Hallett, of Warragul, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Warragul VIC
Remembered: Column 265, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1440 hours on 6 August 1942 Spitfire BP914 flown by Pilot Officer Hallett took off from Heliopolis on a photographic reconnaissance of East Matruh. He was briefed to fly to a point 50 miles west south west of Matruh at a height of 34,000 feet, and if all looked well to descend to a height of 30,000 feet to take photos. The aircraft failed to return from this mission.
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
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/35/206