500589 Sgt Laurie Clark Royal Air Force 138 Sqd. My father died in 1960, 3 weeks after my birth and would never talk about his wartime experiences to my mother. However, this is what I have gleaned over the years: Towards the end of the war his Stirling was shot down over the Danish coast. There was an emergency landing and repairs were made but while they were taking off, and 50ft in the air, a bomb on the aircraft went off. A saboteur has planted it while the repairs were being done. My father was hurled through the perspex nose but landed in a mixture of sea and marsh, went through minefields, but survived. (At this time he may have been helping an injured American airforce person, perhaps of African descent. He may have killed an enemy soldier at this time, too, as my Mum said he had nightmares about this) Through friendly contacts he made it to Copenhagen and was in sight of Sweden when he fell into the hands of the Gestapo. He received the "full treatment" and was sent to Stalag 7a at Moonsburg. My mum would say that towards the end of the war he was part of a crew whose mission was to drop spies behind enemy lines and he talked about the Caterpillar Club. My mother died 12 years ago and I now have children of my own and I am aware that there is so much about my father that I do not know.
Update:
The Stirling was LJ999, NF-Q they took of at 23:48 on the 4th of March 1945 from Tempsford on Operation TABLEJAM 241 and headed for Denmark. On the return journey at 150 feet, over Ringkobing Fjord an explosion sent the aircraft out of control to crash in shallow water.
The crew were:
- F/O L.G.Steven
- Sgt J.T.Breeze
- F/O N.E.Tilly
- F/S J.F.Kyle
- F/S G.M.Maude RAAF
- Sgt W.L.Clark
- Sgt J.H.Bloomer
The crew all survived and were taken POW, 5 of then were confined in Hospital due injuries until the Liberation.
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