Thomas Walker – Service History
Service number 1590544 RAF
Date of birth 30 March 1925 (making him 24 days younger than F/Sgt J.M.Tait and F/Sgt M.J.Hibberd in Ball's crew, who both had birth date of 6 March 1925).
14 Dec 1942 – Enlisted as 17½ year old at Doncaster, South York, straight from leaving school. (photo on this page)
Initially grouped with PNB (Pilot/Navigator/Bombardier), then transferred to Flight Engineers.
3 April 1944 – Posted to IT Wing at Somerset, RAF Base Locking, to study basic engineering.
4 July 1944 – Posted to RAF St. Athan, Glamorgan, Wales, for advanced flight engineer training in Halifax Bombers. (Flight Engineer Sgt Fred Brookes in Ball's crew also trained at this location.)
6 Dec 1944 – Promoted to Sergeant at completion of training and receipt of Engineer's Badge.
16 Dec 1944 – Posted to 1658 HCU Riccall, Yorkshire, and joined F/O Neil Sullivan's crew. (2 photos on this page, taken at Selby Abbey, after dinghy training at the local swimming baths)
7 March 1945 – Crew posted to 462 Squadron, 100 Group, Foulsham, Norfolk. (crew photo, and series of photos with Halifax Z5-A on this page)
14 April 1945 – Tom married his wife Rose while he and the rest of the Crew were on leave (from the 10th to the 19th of April). During this leave, the SDO for their flight on 02/04/25, F/Sgt E.D.Tisdell (W/OP, RAAF 432388) was killed while crewing as SDO for F/O A.M. Lodder (RAAF 426118) and his crew 44. They were flying in Halifax MZ-467 Z5-C, which departed on 16 April 1945 at 2358, on a Special Duty flight to target Augsburg, but failed to return.
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The Crew (Pilot – F/O Neil Sullivan)
This Crew 61 was in "A Flight" with Deputy Flight Commander Fl/Lt Edward (Ted) McGindle, whereas Ball & his Crew 59 were in "B Flight" with Deputy Flight Commander Fl/Lt Bruce Drinkwater.
Pilot – Flying Officer Neil Stephen SULLIVAN, 434110 RAAF, date of birth 21/10/22, age 22 years & 6 months in April 1945.
Navigator – Flying Officer Keith CURRIE, 436316 RAAF, date of birth 11/07/13, age 31 years & 9 months in April 1945.
Bomb Aimer – Flying Officer Arthur COWLEY, 50704 RAAF, date of birth 05/07/23, age 21 years & 9 months in April 1945.
Wireless Operator – Flight Sergeant Wilson Alfred RAILTON, 436211 RAAF, date of birth 09/11/13, age 31 years & 5 months in April 1945 (known as Bill).
Rear Gunner – Flight Sergeant John Cairns LEE, 430571 RAAF, date of birth 28/05/24, age 20 yrs & 11 months in April 1945 (known as Jock).
Mid-Upper Gunner – Flight Sergeant David Maxwell GRIBBLE, 431621 RAAF, date of birth 22/05/25, age 19 years & 11 months in April 1945 (known as Max).
Flight Engineer – Sergeant Thomas Walker, 1590544 RAF, date of birth 30/03/25, age 20 years & 1 month in April 1945 (known as Tom).
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Operations carried out by this Crew while posted to 462 Squadron, "A Flight".
Dates, Z5 letters & targets are from Tom Walker's log book, but it does not record aircraft serial numbers. This logbook information has been cross referenced with dates, aircraft serial numbers (in brackets) & targets from 462 Squadron ORBs for March & April 1945. The ORB does not list the Z5 code for each aircraft, making it difficult to know if the aircraft scheduled to fly according to the ORB was actually flown by the crew. The Special Duty Officer (SDO) for each Op has also been identified from the Squadron ORBs, as are the departure & return times, actions and loadings.
24/03/45 Z5-O Rhine, (RG-379), SDO F/Sgt J.W.Kimber, 436523 RAAF. Departed 1840, returned 2350. Special Duty flight to the Ruhr area on a Spoof raid, with Window released. (Ball & crew 59 in Z5-S also flew on this Op with 2 SDO's – F/Sgt R.G.Irminger and F/O J.Heggarty.)
27/03/45 Z5-E Bremerhaven, (PN-432), SDO F/Sgt M.P.Toohey, 429056 RAAF. Departed 1854, returned 2340. Special Duty flight to the Bremerhaven area on a Spoof raid, with Window released. Target Indicators (T. I.'s) and Incendiaries dropped in that area. Loading:- 4 x 250lb T. I.'s, and 4 x 750lb Clusters.
02/04/45 Z5-A Hamburg, (LG-432?), SDO F/Sgt E.D.Tisdell, 432388 RAAF. Departed 2032, returned 0210 on 3rd April. Special Duty flight to the Stade area on a Spoof raid, with Window released. Bombs and T. I.'s dropped in that area. Loading:- 4 x 250 lb T. i.'s, and 4 x 500lb G.P. bombs. (Hamburg is close to Stade. The aircraft serial number in the ORB (LG-432) differs from that seen on the aircraft (PN433?) in the photos taken prior to departure, and shown on this page.)
08/04/45 Z5-J Magdeburg (MZ-431), SDO F/Sgt M.P.Toohey, 429056 RAAF. Departed 1812, returned 0120 on 9th April, landing at Tangmere. Special Duty flight to the Schönebeck area on a Spoof raid, with Window released. Flares dropped in that area. Loading:- 21 Flares. Of the 12 Halifaxes from 462 Sqdn flying on this Op, 11 landed away – 3 at Lindholme, 3 at Wickenby, and 5 at Tangmere (ORB for April, Forms 541, pages 317 to 320 inclusive.) The monthly Summary of Operations Forms 540 for April, advise that on account of low cloud at Base, all aircraft were diverted. However this report differs in that 3 landed at Lindholme, 2 at Wickenby, and the rest at Tangmere. Anecdote from Tom Walker regarding this Op – after landing at Tangmere, the Group Captain there told them to "get that aircraft off my airfield".
09/04/45 Z5-J Hamburg, (MZ-431), SDO F/Sgt V.W.Chaffer, 433195 RAAF. Departed 1953, returned 0052 on 10th April. Special Duty flight to the Stade area on a Spoof raid, with Window released.
22/04/45 Z5-F Heligoland, (MZ-429), SDO F/Sgt H.R.Willis-Jones, 431650 RAAF. Departed 2111, returned 0202 on 23rd April. Special Duty flight to the Heligoland area on a Spoof raid, with Window released. An anecdote from Tom regarding this Op – "when I returned from my wedding, we went out to the plane ready for an Op. We were waiting for orders when a vehicle came out to the plane & asked for me.
It was the Adjutant. He asked me for my Next of Kin. (gulp!) I told him it was my wife. One of the crew were not happy. We were told to go to
the runway. Whilst doing this the MU/AG (Max Gribble) told me that the rear entry door was jammed. (gulp!) I told him I would chop it out. We carried on, did the Op & came back safely."
24/04/45 Z5-B Munich, (MZ-396), SDO F/Sgt W.Thomson, 437601 RAAF. Departed 2147, returned 0354 on 25th April. Special Duty flight to the Munich area on a Spoof raid, with Window released.
02/05/45 Z5-Q Flensburg, (PN-192), SDO W/O J.A.Newbold, 755811 RAF. Departed 2056, returned 0150 on 3rd May. Special Duty flight to the Flensburg area on a Spoof raid, with Window released. Bombs dropped in that area. Loading:- 5 x 500lb M.C. bombs.
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Links with M.J.Hibberd during WW2
Sgt Tom Walker and crew 61 (Pilot F/O Neil Sullivan) were posted to 462 Squadron Foulsham on 7 March 1945. F/Sgt M.J.Hibberd and Crew 59 (Pilot F/O A.D.J.Ball) had already been posted there on 16 February 1945, but failed to return from ops on 10 April 1945. Although the 2 crews were therefore only in contact for about a month, Tom remembers Rear Gunner Max Hibberd, as well as Bomb Aimer Murray Frank, W/Op Ron Taylor (who was friends with W/Op Bill Railton), and Flight Engineer Fred Brookes. Tom and Fred would have met at morning Flight Engineer's meetings. The 2 crews would also become acquainted when they frequented the Sergeant's Mess. Crew 61 in Halifax Z5-O, and crew 59 in Z5-S both flew on 24 March 1945 on a spoof raid to Köln (Cologne) in the Rhine valley.
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Tom Walker – his life after the war.
After 462 Squadron was disbanded in Sept 1945, Tom was posted to RAF Bruntingford, with many other former Aircrew.
In 1946 Tom was posted to Germany for 5 months, and was located at RAF base Völkenrode, shipping vital equipment back to the UK.
Tom was demobbed on 14 April 1947 (also his 2nd Wedding Anniversary).
Tom worked as a Civil Engineer for 4 years, and as an Engineer in steel industries for 34 years.
Tom and his wife Rose live at home in South Yorkshire, not far from the East Kirkby Air Museum with its complete Lancaster, and also not far from the Elvington Air Museum where a Halifax is being rebuilt. Lincoln is about the same distance away. There are plenty of ex-Lancaster airfields in the area.
They have 3 sons, 6 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Tom and his youngest son have been involved in British Motor Sport (F2 stockcars, Formula 1 racing cars, & motorcycles) for the last 30 years. The family have also been involved in Show-jumping and Eventing (horses), as well as breeding and showing Great Danes. Tom and Rose celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary on 14 April 2010. They had previously received a congratulatory card and citation from the Queen at their Diamond Wedding Anniversary in 2005.
Mrs Rose Walker died on 12 February 2013, a few months before her 88th birthday. She and Tom had been happily married for 67 years and 10 months.
I was honoured and privileged to have met Tom and Rose Walker, and one son Gary at the Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington on Sunday 8 July 2012.
Tom passed away on Saturday 15 June 2019 in the Rotherham Hospital, South Yorkshire. He was born on 30 March 1925, so had reached the grand age of 94 years and 2½ months. Tom was the first veteran of 462 Squadron to make contact after this Tribute website went live on 06 September 2009, with his webpage created for 06 February 2010. He was the F/Eng for Crew 61, Pilot Neil Stephen SULLIVAN. Tom was always ready and willing to answer my many questions, and I am indebted to him for his assistance.
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