LEST WE FORGET 

Leading Aircraftman Lawrence Henry CLARKE

Service No: 427845
Born: North Perth WA, 12 September 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 October 1942
Unit: No. 4 Service Flying Training School, Geraldton WA
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 4 Service Flying Training School Anson aircraft R3550) at Georgina Satellite Airfield near Geraldton WA, 21 July 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Geraldton War Cemetery WA
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Henry and Elsie Close Clarke, of South Fremantle.
Roll of Honour: Fremantle WA
Remembered: Panel 115, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA

Anson R3550 crashed on taking off at GEORGINA at about 1545 hours.  Aircraft total loss.  Killed Flight Lieutenant Nitschke and No. 427845, Leading Aircraftman Clarke trainee.  Subsequently died of injuries – Flying Officer Crawford and No. 429693 Leading Aircraftman Chester, I., trainee.  Slightly injured – No. 436394, LAC BIRD, J.P.

No. 4 Service Flying Training School Operations Record Book (A50) Entry dated 21 July 1943

At a very late stage of takeoff the aircraft was pulled up steeply near a flight hut on the south boundary.  I could see a large dead tree ahead and the aircraft collided with it removing the right-hand tailplane and elevator. Subsequently the aircraft assumed an almost vertical climb before doing a stall turn type manoeuvre and diving vertically into the ground.

Extract of John Bird’s account of the accident related in Brenkley, D.J. (Doug J.) RAAF Historical Record of No. 4 Service Flying Training School Geraldton WA, D.J. Brenkley, 2007 – page 304

The crew members of R3550 were:

Leading Aircraftman John Playne Bird (A5864) (436394) Slightly Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 11 March 1954
Leading Aircraftman Ivan Isadore Chester (429693) Died of Injuries
Leading Aircraftman Lawrence Henry Clarke (427845) Killed in Crash
Flying Officer David Maxwell Crawford (411751) Died of Injuries
Flight Lieutenant Clemence Frederich Nitschke (407300) (Pilot) Killed in Crash

References:

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/7/147

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