The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (404950) Sergeant Thomas David Belford, No. 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Second World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Craig Berelle, the story for this day was on (404950) Sergeant Thomas David Belford, No. 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Second World War.

404950 Sergeant Thomas David Belford, No. 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force
KIA 12 July 1942

Story delivered 19 June 2017

Today we pay tribute to Sergeant Thomas David Belford.

Born in the Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba on 16 June 1909, Thomas Belford was the tenth of 11 children born to William and Elizabeth Belford. Known to his friends as David Thomas – rather than Thomas David – he had three brothers and seven sisters.

As a young man, Belford attended Brisbane State School, then Buranda State School. He later attended Central Technical College in Brisbane. A keen sportsmen, Belford played cricket and tennis.

During the depression years, Belford travelled the countryside doing whatever odd jobs he could, working mostly as a farmhand. He later undertook an apprenticeship and was employed as an engineer’s fitter before going into business with his brother as a plumber.

After the outbreak of the Second World War Belford made several attempts to enlist in the Royal Australian Air Force before being accepted on 5 January 1941.

Following enlistment, Belford began training as a navigator and air observer. In July 1941 he embarked in Sydney for overseas service, first to Canada, then Britain. As part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, Belford was one of almost 27,500 RAAF pilots, navigators, wireless operators, gunners, and engineers, who, throughout the course of the war, joined squadrons based in Britain.

After arriving in Britain, Belford undertook further specialist training before being posted to No. 460 Squadron. This was the most highly decorated Australian squadron in Bomber Command, and the squadron that suffered the highest casualties. Flying twin-engine Vickers Wellingtons medium bombers and then four-engine Avro Lancaster heavy bombers, the squadron lost over 1,000 men: Australian, British, Canadians, New Zealanders and South Africans. Almost 600 Australians from 460 Squadron are listed here on the Roll of Honour.

On the night of 12 July 1942, the Wellington in which Belford was a crew member was lost during a mine laying operation off the Frisian Islands. Belford and all six of his Australian crewmates – Sergeants Alan Moyle, Frederick Brayne, John Sharkey, Ronald Perry, and Charles Dreyer – were all killed.

Belford was 31 years old.

His body was not recovered, and today his name – along with those of his crewmates – is listed on the Air Forces Memorial overlooking the River Thames, the Runnymede memorial which lists all British and Commonwealth airmen with no known grave.

Thomas David Belford’s name is listed here on the Roll of Honour on your right, among some 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Thomas David Belford, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Lachlan Grant
Historian, Military History Section