LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Clarence Ray McLAREN
Service No: 417092
Born: Adelaide SA, 9 October 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 630 Squadron (RAF), RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 630 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED777), Germany, 2 December 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Allan Bruce and Flora Nita McLaren, of Waikerie, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
On the night of the 2 December 1943, Lancaster ED777 took off from East Kirby at 1630 hours, detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research & Enquiry team later reported: “The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed on Ridge near Grtoss Schulzendorf, about 25 kms south of Berlin. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of ED777 were:
Flight Sergeant Richard Hooton Banks (1529841) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flying Officer William Alfred Clark (156304) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant George Alfred Crowe (576432) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant John Ford (1108540) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Robert Hughes (2215990) (RAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Clarence Ray McLaren (417092) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer Leonard Rodmond Rinn (J/21024) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
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, 166/26/307