LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Michael CLIFFORD
Service No: 403320
Born: Forbes NSW, 28 April 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 January 1941
Unit: No. 452 Squadron
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 452 Squadron Spitfire aircraft BR471), Broken Bay NSW, 9 October 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Botany General Cemetery, Sydney, NSW
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward Timothy and Mary Assissium Clifford, of Randwick
Roll of Honour: Forbes NSW
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Brother of Sergeant Ronald John Clifford (424119)
At 1015 hours on 9 October 1942, Spitfire aircraft Capstan BR471 flown by Sergeant Clifford crashed off Wamberal, Broken Bay, and he was killed. The aircraft had taken off at 0915 hours detailed to carry out an oxygen climb to 35,000 feet. The aircraft dived into the sea about two miles off shore. Sergeant Clifford’s body was later recovered. It was considered possible that the cause of the accident was oxygen failure with the pilot losing consciousness.
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/97/179
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002