LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Jack Clifford CARPENTER
From Australia serving in the Royal Air Force
Service No: 745604
Born: Brisbane QLD, Date unavailable
Enlisted in the RAAF: Date unavailable
Unit: No. 210 Squadron (RAF), operating from RAF Station Wick
Died: Air Operations: (No. 210 Squadron Sunderland aircraft L2167), Norway, 9 April 1940, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Sylling Churchyard, Norway
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Alexander Carpenter and Gwendolyne Elsie Carpenter, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Commemorative Roll, Australian War Memorial, Canberra
Sergeant Carpenter is the subject of the documentary video A Very Short War.
On 9 April 1942, Sunderland L2167 was tasked for a reconnaissance of Oslo Fiord. This was the day that Germany invaded Norway and the aircraft encountered the invasion fleet with airfields in the Oslo region already occupied by German Forces. The aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and then attacked by two Me110s of l/ZG76 over Fornebu at about 1500 hours and caught fire over Holsfjorden before finally exploding over Maidalen. The Sunderland was claimed by Obit Hansen in Messerschmitt Me110 M8+JH but Un H Lent was also involved. Sergeant George survived being blown out of the aircraft at 3,000 feet without a parachute and falling into deep snow.
The crew members of L2167 were:
Sergeant James Alan Lleyellyn Barter (751471) (RAFVR)
Sergeant Jack Clifford Carpenter (745604) (RAFVR) (Third Pilot)
Aircraftman Class II George Eveson (635904) (RAF)
Sergeant Ogwyn Francis George (619031) (RAF) PoW
Flight Lieutenant Peter William Hansford Kite (40231) (RAF) (Pilot)
Aircraftman Class I Graham Herbert Maile (543456) (RAF)
Pilot Officer Arthur Francis Le Maistre (41033) (RAF) (Second Pilot) (from Canada)
Aircraftman Class I Robert Lawrence Millar (569861) (RAF)
Leading Aircraftman Frederick Armand Morrison (522580) (RAF)
Leading Aircraftman Douglas William Bailey Upham (562805) (RAF)
References:
Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
McNeill, Ross RAF Coastal Command Loses of the Second World War Volume 1 Aircraft and Aircrew Losses 1939-1941, Midland Publications UK, 2003