F/O George Christopher Clewley RCAF and crew – 576 Sqn/166 Sqn – RAF Elsham Wolds/RAF Kirmington - 1944
Failed to Return – 4 December 1944 – Lancaster III – ME318 – Op Karlsruhe
Posted to 576 Squadron September 1944 from 11 Base. Date unknown
Crew
F/O George C Clewley RCAF
Sgt Alexander John Taylor RAFVR
F/S Elmer Fasken Williams RCAF,
F/O Allan J Reid RCAF,
F/S Jack A Joyce RAAF,
F/S Harry R Thyret RCAF,
F/S Robert J Barr RCAF.
According to the ORBs this crew flew unaltered throughout
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576 Squadron 2 ops
28/09/1944 – Calais - Army support – NF975 – F/O GC Clewley – Ab - Raid aborted by Master Bomber due to worsening cloud conditions.
03/10/1944 - West Kapelle - Army support – PD271 – F/O GC Clewley
166 Squadron 11 ops
23/10/1944 – Essen – Point of Aim - PD365 - F/O GC Clewley
25/10/1944 - Essen – Point of Aim - NG183 – F/O GC Clewley
28/10/1944 - Cologne – Point of Aim - ND635 – F/O GC Clewley
30/10/1944 - Cologne – Point of Aim - PD384 – F/O GC Clewley
09/11/1944 - Wanna Eikel - Oil - PD335 – F/O GC Clewley
11/11/1944 – Kattegat - Minelaying – PD384 - F/O GC Clewley - Mission abandoned due to unserviceability of navigational aids
16/11/1944 - Duren – Army support - PA179 – F/O GC Clewley
21/11/1944 - Aschaffenburg – Railway yards - ND405 – F/O GC Clewley
27/11/1944 - Freiberg – Army support - PD384 – F/O GC Clewley
29/11/1944 – Dortmund – Point of Aim – ME318 – F/O GC Clewley – Aircraft hit by flak over Cologne causing damage to both main planes.
04/12/1944 - Karlsruhe – Point of Aim - ME318 – F/O GC Clewley – FTR – Night fighter victim. Crashed near target at Worth-Hagenbach.
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Claim by Hptm Muller Kdr. I./NJG 11 Worth-Lauterburg 2000-3000m 19.25
In view of the fact that the pilot was the only survivor it seems likely that the aircraft exploded in mid air and F/O Clewley was propelled through the cockpit roof.
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F/O George Christopher Clewley RCAF ( pictured below ) – Pilot – 166 Sqn – POW – Camps 9C/L3 – POW No 53693.
Sgt Alexander John Taylor RAFVR ( pictured below ) – Flight Engineer – 39 – 166 Sqn - Son of James Taylor and of Maggie Ann Taylor (nee Park), husband of Jessie Ann Taylor (nee George), of Bucksburn, Aberdeenshire – Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
W/O Elmer Fasken Williams RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Bomber – 27 – 166 Sqn - Son of Owen Webster Williams and Emma Gertrude Williams, husband of N. Marguerite Williams of Dunnville, Ontario, Canada – Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
F/O Allan James Reid RCAF ( pictured below ) – Navigator – 166 Sqn - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
F/S Jack Anthony Joyce RAAF ( pictured below ) – Wireless operator/Air Gunner – 20 – 166 Sqn - Son of Martin and Rose Agnes Margaret Joyce of Randwick, New South Wales, Australia – Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
F/S Harry Ray Thyret RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Gunner – 166 Sqn - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
F/S Robert James Barr RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Gunner – 19 – 166 Sqn - Son of James Reid Barr and Edith Barr, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
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F/O George Christopher Clewley RCAF
Sgt Alexander John Taylor RAFVR.
At 39 years old Sgt Taylor was well over average age for aircrew. Amongst the oldest.
W/O Elmer Fasken Williams RCAF
F/O Allan James Reid RCAF
F/S Jack Anthony Joyce RAAF
F/S Harry Ray Thyret RCAF
F/S Robert James Barr RCAF
5 of the Clewley crew Back L to R - Williams, Thyret and Taylor. Front L to R - Barr and Joyce
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4 December 44 – Karlsruhe – Germany – Night.
24 aircraft detailed. At 1330 hours a 1000 lb bomb had to be removed from each aircraft to permit a larger petrol load. All aircraft got off to a good start in fair weather conditions. At the target area however crews found cloud cover right over it and although they were able to see the target just before and just after the run up the actual bombing had to be done on the glow of the markers seen though the cloud. From crew's reports it would appear that a fair concentration of bombing was achieved despite this difficulty and 22 of our aircraft returned safely to base after bombing the primary target. Although opposition was very light and no enemy fighters were seen "E" flown by F/O Clewley and crew failed to return. "X" flown by F/O Hanna and crew returned to base and was actually approaching to land when it crashed just short of the airfield at Brocklesby Park. All members of the crew were killed. The cause of the accident is not known and is under investigation. F/L Sedgwick and crew and F/O Sisson and crew completed their first tour of operations
535 aircraft of 1, 6 and 8 Groups attacked. 1 Lancaster and 1 Mosquito lost. The marking and bombing were accurate and severe damage was caused particularly in the southern and western districts of the city. Among individual buildings destroyed were the important Durlacher machine-tool factory, the main Protestant church and the concert hall.
Note.
The investigation into the Hanna crash found that the cause was failure of the starboard engines on approach due to fuel starvation because of the incorrect recording of the fuel state of the aircraft at take off. It was further noted that this error was unique within 1 Group and that the attention of all captains of aircraft be drawn to the circumstances of this accident
Compiled by David Fell with photos from the Canadian Virtual War Memorial apart from the Clewley photo which was submitted by David Smith.
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