Basil Bloom was born on 19 March 1917 to Maurice Bloom and Sarah nee Levy and he had three brothers Jack, Sidney and Robert. Their father worked as a property expert and financial advisor. Basil served under the surname Bartholomew.

Basil attended Mill Hill School from 1931-1933 and is remembered in their Book of Remembrance. It states: At Mill Hill he was in Winterstoke House. After leaving school he trained to be a surveyor, but left this work and joined the RAF prior to the outbreak of war. He was attached to a Fighter Squadron at the time of his death and in the words of a friend, ‘he was full of pluck, reliable and never undertook to do anything unless he completed the job.’ He had literary ambitions and at the time of his death he had been engaged in writing a saga which embraced his experiences during the previous months. Here are two of the verses:
Faster yet and faster
Larks to flaming kestrel
Flying now my master
I its willing vassal
Wings! Ah a magic word
Clothed in a mesh of tape
And so coloured, tis heard
That bull’s run-to escape

Basil joined 92 Sqn on 28 Aug 1941 and was killed twenty days later. His aircraft Spitfire AB915 departed RAF Biggin Hill at 13.40 on an offensive sweep. His aircraft was damaged during an offensive sweep and he was forced to bale out over the English Channel. He drowned and his body was buried in Brighton & Hove Jewish Cemetery.