Clark, Laurence Maurice (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1943-April-29

Flying Officer Laurence Maurice Clark RCAF

Birth Date: 1919-May-08

Born: San Francisco California USA

Parents:

Spouse:

Home: Hollywood, California, USA

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

166 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Tenacity

Base

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/20082

Home
Google MapHollywood, California, USA
Final Burial
Google MapEsbjerg War Cemetery
A 10 2

Took off from Kirmington at 20:49 in Wellington Mk X (Sqn code AS-N Bomber Command) on an 'Gardening (mine laying) operation to Saedden, Denmark.

Hit by marine flak and crashed in the sea near Esbjerg, Denmark.

Killed includes Clark: Pilot Officer John Anthony Dalton RCAF J/20887 KIA Fourfelt Cemetery Esbjerg grave A. 10. 3. Flight Sergeant David Edward Giles RCAF R/123266 KIA Fourfelt Cemetery grave A. 11. 1. Flight Sergeant Hugh Archibald MacEachen RCAF R/104348 KIA Fourfelt Cemetery grave A. 10. 1.

POWs: Sergeant Horace Reginald Fisher RCAF R/95749 POW Stalag Luft L1 Barth Vogelsang.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Wellington HZ278

Flying Officer Laurence Maurice Clark RCAF

Flying Officer Clark, Laurence Maurice (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1943-April-29
Fourfelt Gravlund Esbjerg Denmark

Pilot Officer John Anthony Dalton RCAF

Pilot Officer Dalton, John Anthony (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1943-April-29
Fourfelt Gravlund Esbjerg Denmark

Warrant Officer 1 Horace Reginald Fisher RCAF

Warrant Officer 1 Fisher, Horace Reginald (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Prisoner of War
1943-April-29
cemetery unknown

Flight Sergeant David Edward Giles RCAF

Flight Sergeant Giles, David Edward (RCAF)
Navigator
Killed in Action
1943-April-29
Fourfelt Gravlund Esbjerg Denmark

Flight Sergeant Hugh Archibald Maceachen RCAF

Flight Sergeant Maceachen, Hugh Archibald (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1943-April-29
Fourfelt Gravlund Esbjerg Denmark

Unit Desciption

166 (B) Sqn Tenacity (Huddersfield's Own)

No 166 Squadron RAF was originally formed at Bircham Newton, Norfolk on June 13, 1918, designed as a heavy bomber unit, to fly the Handley Page V/1500 aircraft. The squadron was never fully mobilized because the Armistice intervened. The squadron was re-formed in November 1936 as a heavy bomber unit, flying Handley Page Heyfords, later equipping with Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys. It was based at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire from November 1936 to January 1937, when it moved to Leconfield, Yorkshire. The squadron became part of an air observer's school on June 7, 1938, and then became a 1 Group pool squadron in May 1939. From September 1939 it was based at Abingdon, Berkshire until April 1940. In that month the squadron merged with no. 97 Squadron to form No. 10 OTU.

In January 1943 the squadron was re-formed at Kirmington, Yorkshire (53.578,-0.344, now Humberside Airport), from flights of Nos. 150 and 170 squadrons, when parts of these squadrons were posted to the Middle East. It was again bomber squadron, flying Vickers Wellingtons in No. 1 Group of Bomber Command. It remained at Kirmington until the end of WWII, later re-equipping with Avro Lancasters. In the period 27/28 January 1943 and 25 April 1945, it dropped 27,287 tons of bombs and laid 333 tons of mines. The squadron won "at least" 2 DSOs, 2 CGMs, 117 DFCs and 108 DFMs in the course of WWII. The squadron was disbanded on November 18, 1945.