LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Frederick Ronald CLAYTON
Service No: 414199
Born: Mitchell QLD, 27 February 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 17 August 1941
Unit: No. 70 Squadron (RAF), Cerignola
Died: Air Operations: (No. 70 Squadron Wellington aircraft LN380), Italy, 27 January 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Bari War Cemetery, Carbonara, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William James Clayton and Esther Clayton, of East Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Ipswich QLD
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Wellington LN380 took off from Tortorella Landing Ground, Italy, at 1815 hours on 27th January 1944, detailed to carry out an operational flight. It crashed shortly after take off some 5 miles ENE of Foggia, Southern Italy, and all the crew were killed. The aircraft was seen to be on fire after making one circuit of the aerodrome and burning parts seen falling from the fuselage by eye witnesses. The aircraft crashed and later the bombs exploded.
The crew members of LN380 were:
Flight Sergeant Ronald Andre Beal (412883) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant William Frederick Brenton (417453) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Frederick Ronald Clayton (414199) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant John Stanley Hastings Cox (1311063) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Gilbert Thomas Foster (1583331) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Francis Eugene Maher (1395005) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
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, 166/7/409