LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Clarence Keith MOLLET
Service No: 417873
Born: Prospect SA, 5 July 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 July 1942
Unit: No. 460 Squadron, RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 460 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NE174), France, 5 July 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Clarence Harcroft Mollet and Dorothy Lena Mollet, of Prospect, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Prospect SA
Remembered: Panel 261, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 108, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
One or more RAAF squadrons took part in 15 of the 25 rail centre raids in July and August, beginning on 4th-5th July when 14 Lancasters of No. 460 struck successfully the Les Aublaise railway yards at Orleans in a total force of 156 aircraft.
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 235
Lancaster NE174 took off from RAF Binbrook at 2208 hours on the night of 4th July 1944 to bomb railway yards at Orleans, France. The bomb load was 18 x 500 lb (pound) (225 kg) bombs. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Post war it was established that the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed at Donnemain village, about 40 kms north west of Orleans.
The crew members of NE174 were:
Warrant Officer Ivan Henry Clark (421347) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant David Victor Joy (1339790) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Leslie McLean (J/90928) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant George Cyril Rowland Micklefield (1216702) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Clarence Keith Mollet (417873) (Bomb Aimer)
Pilot Officer John Albert Solomon (417528) (Pilot)
Sergeant Frederick David Wills (1352077) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper 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, 166/28/351
Bibliography:
Firkins, P. C. (Peter Charles) (441386) Strike and Return, Westward Ho Publishing City Beach WA, 1985