Captain Basil Radford's stage name was 'Gilbert the Filbert'
On 20 August Hallam, who was a member of No 1 Kite Balloon Section, was due to make an ascent with 2/Lt P B Moxon who had previously been registering artillery for V Corps together with a third man, Lt Geoffrey McCall. McCall, whose brother was a school chum of Hallam, had been invited along as a guest.
Sadly, and owing to a high wind, the balloon broke away from its moorings and began to drift towards enemy lines. The crew then proceeded to throw out their instruments and maps before planning to save themselves. Unfortunately, there were only two parachutes in the balloon and Hallam instructed Moxon and McCall to jump. This, of course, left him with the decision of either drifting out of control into enemy lines or to jump and hope.
For a short period he was seen sitting on the edge of the basket before making his leap. The height was between three and six thousand feet and, not surprisingly, he didn't survive. His body was found on the Acheux-en-Amienois Road. In a letter to Lady Diana Cooper, Raymond Asquith, one of hundreds of witnesses to the tragedy, reported that Hallam's body was found dreadfully foreshortened and he was only identified by his cigarette case. Hallam's grave is to be found in Couin British Cemetery.
To read more about Basil Radford click the following link: Gilbert the Filbert