LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Clifford Samuel GAY
Service No: 418938
Born: Flemington VIC, 6 June 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1942
Unit: No. 103 Squadron (RAF), RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 103 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ND 411), France, 4 May 1944, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Beauchery Communal Cemetery, Seine-et-Marne, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Samuel Archibald and Florence Annette Gay; husband of Dorothy Mavis Gay, of Murrumbeena, Victoria, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Caulfield VIC
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster ND 411 took off from RAF Elsham Wolds at 2208 hours on the night of 3 May 1944, detailed to bomb military camp installations at Mailly-le-Camp, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. It was thought that when the aircraft was homebound but north of its intended track, it was shot down and crashed at Beauchery-St-Martin (Seine-et-Marne), 10 kms north east of Provins. All the crew were killed and they are buried in the Beauchery Communal Cemetery.
The crew members of ND 411 were:
Flight Sergeant Clifford Samuel Gay (418938) (Air Bomber)
Pilot Officer John Edgar Holden (173327) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Fred Carson Hoxford (R/219997) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Arthur Arnold McCallum (R/214657) (RCAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant James Ernest Moore (1605107) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Terence William Sykes (1576517) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Robert Arthur Wilson (1602530) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
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, 166/15/234
Bibliography:
Charlwood, D.E.C. (Donald Ernest Cameron) (408794) No Moon Tonight (Angus and Robertson 1956), Penguin Ringwood VIC, 3134, 1991