LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Clarence William LAWTON
Service No: 424771
Born: Gunning NSW, 17 July 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 31 Squadron (SAAF), Celone, Italy
Died: Air Operations: (No. 31 Squadron Liberator aircraft KH239), Italy, 12 October 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Milan War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William and Ethel Margaret May Lawton
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 134, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Harden-Murrumburrah War Memorial Wall, Harden NSW
Remembered: NSW Department of Education Teachers and Trainees WW2 Honour Roll, Sydney NSW
On 12 October 1944, Liberator KH239 went mission on a mission to drop supplies to Italian Partisans at Vigone located at the western end of the Po Valley in the foothills of the Alps. There was nine tenths cloud and poor weather on the outward journey to the target area which was in mountainous terrain and nothing was heard from the aircraft after taking off at 1631 hours.
The crew members of KH239 were:
Sergeant David Wilfred Bishop (1391762) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant John Bucks (772720) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Eric Henry Albert Clift (1602670) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Thomas Duffas Fotheringham (56930) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Clarence William Lawton (424771) (Pilot)
Sergeant Stanley Edward Lockton (1881847) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant GeoffreyTennison (1750387) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Dennis Raymond Wellon (1485008) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
The RAF crew members are shown on the CWGC record with dates of death of 13 October 1944.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/24/561
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line