Remembering Today 30/7/44,Flying Officer: Peter William Clifford, 150370, Royal Air Force Voluntee

CLIFFORD, PETER WILLIAM Rank: Flying Officer Service No: 150370 Date of Death: 30/07/1944 Age: 21 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 148 Sqdn. Panel Reference: Panel 13, Column 1. Memorial: MALTA MEMORIAL Additional Information: Son of George and Marie Ernestine Clifford, of Easton, Hampshire.http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1081683/CLIFFORD,%20PETER%20WILLIAM

 

Details of the above loss....

30 July 1944

148 Squadron
Halifax JP239

The aircraft was tasked to drop supplies in Northern Italy. The drop had been completed and during the home bound flight and while flying at medium level on of the starboard engines malfunctioned and the aircraft filled with smoke. The captain ordered the aircraft to be abandoned but only one crew member survived being rescued from the sea by a US launch.

Crew losses.

F/O. P W. Clifford +
Sgt. J B. Humphrey +
F/O. J R. Mackney +
Sgt. R W. McCormick +
Sgt. R J. Pocock +

Source - Though Without Anger - C. Cummings

 

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/53114-the-malta-memorial-panel-photographs-here/

 

There was an Australian RAAF member on board.

This is information from the National Archives of reported deaths of RAAF aircrew from official records by Alan Storr

RAAF PERSONNEL SERVING ON ATTACHMENT IN ROYAL AIR FORCE
SQUADRONS AND SUPPORT UNITS IN WORLD WAR 2 AND MISSING WITH
NO KNOWN GRAVE.

417848 Flight Sergeant JOYCE, Alan Francis

Source:

NAA : A705, 166/21/180
Aircraft Type: Halifax
Serial number: JP 239
Radio call sign:
Unit: 148 Sqn RAF

Summary:

Halifax JP 239 of 148 Sqn RAF, Central Mediterranean Forces, took off from Brindisi
Airfield at 1750 hours on 30 July 1944 to carry out a special operation in North West
Italy. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base.
Another aircraft reported seeing an aircraft going down in flames in approx position
43.39N, 04.42E.

Crew:

RAF FO Clifford, P W Captain (Pilot) +
RAAF 417848 Flt Sgt Joyce, A F (Navigator Bomb Aimer) +
RAF FO Mackney, J R (Navigator) +
RAF Sgt MacCormick, R W (Wireless Operator Air) +
RAF Sgt Humphrey, J B (Flight Engineer) +
RAF Sgt Pocock, R J (Air Gunner) +
RCAF Sgt Humble, J A (Air Gunner) (Survived)

In a later report by Sgt Humble he stated “On the return journey, the starboard inner
engine caught fire and thick smoke filled the aircraft. He baled out through the parachute
hatch and saw the aircraft continue to fly level for a few seconds, turn steeply to
starboard and then dive into the sea. He saw no other crew members leave the aircraft.
He was picked up by ASR vessel and taken to Corsica.”

It was later recorded that the remaining missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.

Cheers

Geoff

 

I was named after Peter Clifford who was my mother's brother. She has passed down to me the same statement about the flight as stated by Sgt Humble. Wish I could have known my uncle.

Peter Skaalen