LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Clive Watson Peter MORTAL
Service No: 414315
Born: Dunedin, New Zealand, 16 February 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 1941 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 576 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Fiskerton
Died: Air Operations: (No. 576 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NE115), Germany, 2 November 1944, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Merriwa Mortal and Mary Emily Mortal, R of Waverton, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1600 hours on the night of 2 November 1944, Lancaster NE115 took-off from Fiskerton detailed to bomb Dusseldorf, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A report by a Missing Research and Enquiry team stated: “The aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed and exploded on impact at Langenfeld on the 2nd November 1944. Langenfeld is approximately 15 kms south east of Dusseldorf.” Six of the crew members were killed and one was taken prisoner.
The crew members of NE115 were:
Flight Sergeant Colin Richard Anthony (1809483) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph Beeson (1594564) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Warrant Officer James Nelson Casey (421244) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Clive Watson Peter Mortal (414315) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer J J Mulrooney (48587) (RAF) (Pilot) PoW
Warrant Officer Frederick James Lincoln Paton (13084) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Edward Parker DFM (54422) (RAF) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/28/436