LEST WE FORGET

Wing Commander Clarence Parsons GLASSCOCK DFC

Commanding Officer, No. 30 Squadron

Service No: 260092
Born: 3 February 1912, Location unavailable
Enlisted in the RAAF: Date unavailable
Unit: No. 30 Squadron
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 1 August 1944
Died: Air Operations: (No. 30 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft A19-133), New Britain, 19 September 1943, Aged 31 Years
Buried: Lae War Cemetery PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Clarence Thomas Brown Glasscock and Lyla Glasscock, of Abbotsford Point, New South Wales. B.Sc.Agr.(Sydney).
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 102, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Penrith City Memory Park, Penrith NSW

DFC Citation: “Wing Commander Glasscock was appointed to command his squadron in June 1943. Throughout the month of July, he personally participated in many successful convoy protection operations in connection with the allied occupation of the Trobiand and Woodlark
Islands. His untiring enthusiasm proved a source of inspiration to his unit which was operating under most trying conditions. During the operations at Salamoa and Lae in August and September, his unit was allocated he task of intercepting enemy barge traffic along the north and south coast of New Britain. Although the barges were sheltering under cover of heavily defended positions, he led his squadron in many determined attacks, which achieved marked success. By his courage, his exemplary qualities of leadership and his untiring devotion to duty, Wing Commander Glasscock has at all times upheld the highest traditions of the service.” (London Gazette 1 August 1944 page 3573)

At about 0651 hours on the 19 September 1943, Beaufighter A19-133 was one of eight aircraft that took off from the Vivigani strip, Goodenough Island, detailed to strike enemy shipping and installations at Cape Hoskins, New Britain. At 0843 hours A19-133 crashed about 7 miles from the airstrip at Cape Hoskins and both the crew members were killed. Another aircraft heard Wing Commander Glasscock call on radio to say they had been hit in the petrol tank, and that “My port motor is haywire and she’s shaking to pieces”, “I am baling out – come up the front” and “Are you right boy, I am going now”. The aircraft was seen burning on the ground, and no parachutes were seen in the air. In 1946, the remains of the crew were recovered by a RAAF search party.

The crew members of A19-133 were:

Flying Officer John James Cain (1446) (Wireless Air/Observer)
Wing Commander Clarence Parsons Glasscock DFC (260092) (Pilot)

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, 166/15/114; A9845, 18
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line

Bibliography:

Parnell, N.M. (Neville M.) Whispering Death: A history of the RAAF’s Beaufighter Squadrons, AH & AW Reed, Terry Hills NSW, 1980
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Beaufort, Beaufighter and Mosquito in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1990

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