Short Stirling

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Harry Ernest Hall: A Hero's Legacy Harry Hall will forever be remembered as the shining star of our family. He embarked on a remarkable journey, starting as an electrician before joining the Royal Air Force (RAF) on May 28, 1941, with the rank of Leading Aircraftman and serial number 1436050. His path to becoming a skilled pilot was swift and impressive, with records showing he was sent for training in Canada. He joined 36 Elementary Flight Training School on March 13, 1942, and later moved to 33 SFTS on May 23, 1942, before finally settling into 31 D.D. on September 15, 1942. After completing his flight training, Harry arrived in the UK on October 7, 1942, and joined his operational squadron (214) on July 3, 1943, with the rank of Flight Sergeant. Honors and Accolades Harry's bravery was recognized with the British Empire Medal (Military Division) in November 1943. The London Gazette citation from November 12, 1943, reads: "One night in August 1943, Flight Sergeant Hall was piloting an aircraft that had run out of fuel over the South Coast of England. Despite being temporarily knocked unconscious by the impact and with water rapidly filling the plane, Harry's first thoughts were for his crew's safety. He extricated his wireless operator from the wreckage and secured him in a dinghy before returning to search for the navigator and flight engineer who were missing. Five members of the crew were later rescued by an air-sea rescue launch, commanded by F/O Geoffrey Lockwood, who received a DSC for his role in the rescue." Harry's heroic actions that night earned him widespread recognition, and he was awarded the British Empire Medal (Military Division) for his bravery. A Model Tribute In honor of Harry's memory, an Airfix model was created to commemorate his heroism. The model depicts Lockwood's HSL 156 air-sea rescue launch, which played a crucial role in saving Harry's crew members after their daring rescue. Harry's Last Mission Tragically, Harry's life was cut short on September 23, 1943, during a raid over Germany. He was piloting Stirling EF 393 BU-R from RAF Chedburgh when it failed to return. According to eyewitness accounts, the plane was critically damaged and spiraling out of control, with Harry holding steady until his crew members could bail out. The circumstances surrounding Harry's death are still shrouded in mystery, but Luftwaffe records suggest he may have been shot down by Staffelkapitän August Geiger, who would later go on to achieve 50 aerial victories before being killed in action on September 29.