Operation: Armed Recce, France

Date: 11th July 1944 (Tuesday)

Unit No: 442 (F) Squadron, RCAF, 126 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force

Type: Spitfire LF.IX

Serial: NH325

Code: Y2:H

Base: ALG B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer Airfield, France

Location: Villers-Bocage in France

Pilot: Flt Lt. Thomas Hubert Oscar 'Bud' Hallihan J8904 RCAF Age 22. KiA

Above: Flt Lt. Thomas Hubert Oscar 'Bud' Hallihan from his service record

REASON FOR LOSS

On the 11th July 1944 twelve Spitfires took off from the B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer Airfield at 14:50 hrs on an Armed Recce over France. Flt Lt. Hallihan had only joined the Sqn some 36 hrs previously and this was his first operation.

Sqn Ldr. Harry James Dowding J16027 DFC (award a Bar to his DFC with effect 1st December 1944) described circumstance leading to Flt Lt. Hallihan and Spitfire being post missing:

“The above named was flying as my number two on an armed Recce, July 11, 1914. The Squadron took off at 1450 and entered into enemy territory above cloud just east of Cabourg. We were to carry out a search in the Argentan-Flere-Code-sur Noireau area. Due to the ten-tenths cloud we saw nothing until we approached a break in the cloud about one mile north of Conde-sur-Noireau. I took my number two, Flight Lieutenant Hallihan dawn to have a look for MT. Just as we got below the cloud (base 4000 feet) we encountered intense light flak. I immediately pulled up through the cloud again followed by F/L. Hallihan, who reported by R/T that he had been hit. I instructed him to bale out if he did not think he could reach our lines. I receive no more by R/T from F/L. Hallihan and last saw him entering cloud with a thin tail of black smoke coming from his aircraft which was heading in a northerly direction. He was not seen again by anyone of No. 422 Squadron and has since been reported”. Missing”.

A Missing Research & Enquiry Unit (MREU) conducted a sweep of the canton of Villers-Bocage in France and was informed of two crashes adjacent fields near Noyers-Bocage. One of the crashes was identified as the wreckage of Spitfire LF.IX NH325.

The second crash was identified as Typhoon Ib MN307 flown by Flt Lt. Wilfred J. Mahagan J11280 KiA on the 7th June 1944.

Flt Lt. Hallihan was initially buried close to the crash site of his aircraft at Noyers-Bocage.

Burial details:

Above Grave marker for Flt Lt. Thomas Hubert Oscar 'Bud' Hallihan (Courtesy of Carol Pollard ‘Woose’ - FindAGrave)

Flt Lt. Thomas Hubert Oscar 'Bud' Hallihan. Recovered and laid to rest at the St. Manvieu War Cemetery, Cheux IV.E.4 on the 8th November 1945. Born on the 3rd October 1922 in Peterborough, Ontario. Son of Thomas Oscar and Caroline (née Morrison) Hallihan. Husband to Helen Sylvia (née Shaughnessy) Hallihan of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

Researched by Ralph Snape and dedicated to this pilot and his family.

Other sources as quoted below:

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