LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Cleveland John SCHMIDT
Service No: 425061
Born: Eton QLD, 18 March 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 December 1941
Unit: No. 622 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Mildenhall
Died: Air Operations: (No. 622 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ND767), Belgium, 31 March 1944, Aged 32 Years
Buried: Hotton War Cemetery, Luxembourg, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry August George and Annie May Schmidt, of Eton, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Eton QLD
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2230 hours on the 30 March 1944, Lancaster ND767 took off from Mildenhall detailed to bomb Nuremburg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. When homebound, Lancaster ND767 collided with No 427 Squadron (RCAF) Halifax aircraft LV923, which had drifted north of its track, both aircraft plunging into the ground near Rachecourt, (Luxembourg)13 kms south west of Arlon, Belgium. All the crew members on board ND767 were killed in the crash and six of the eight crew members of LV923 were also killed.
The crew members of ND767 were:
Sergeant Raymond John Asplen (1331865) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Gordon Robert Collins (1869001) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant John Coup (1600454) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Pilot Officer John Percival Merritt (J/85569) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Henry Frederick Page (1713536) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer Eric Pickin (174147) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Cleveland John Schmidt (425061) (Air Bomber)
The crew members of LV923 were:
Flight Sergeant William Paterson Clapham (1022894) (RAFVR)
Pilot Officer Joseph Charles Corbally (J/19835) (RCAF)
Squadron Leader George Johnstone Laird DFC (J/4896) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer J Moffat (J/27919) (RCAF) Evaded capture
Pilot Officer J Morrison DFC (14824) (RAF) PoW, Injured
Pilot Officer Lloyd Henry Smith (C/18975) (RCAF)
Flying Officer William Ernest Paul Soeder (J/13272) (RCAF)
Flight Sergeant Arthur John Stainton (R/158503) (RCAF)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Chorley W R, Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 5 Aircraft and Aircrew Losses 1944, Midland Counties Publications UK, 1997
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/38/470