F/O Clifford S Hart RAAF and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1944/45
Failed to Return – 23/24th February 1945 – Avro Lancaster I – NF909 – Op Pforzheim
Clifford Hart and crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds from Heavy Conversion Unit 11 Base around late October/early November 1944. Date not recorded. They were lost on their 19th operation. See below :-
18-Nov-44 - Wanne Eikel - Lancaster - NG276 - P/O CS Hart RAAF - Bad weather at base. Diverted
27-Nov-44 - Freiburg - Lancaster - JA857 - P/O CS Hart RAAF
29-Nov-44 - Dortmund - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CS Hart RAAF
04-Dec-44 - Karlsruhe - Lancaster - ME649 - P/O CS Hart RAAF
22-Dec-44 - Koblenz - Lancaster - PB563 - F/O CS Hart RAAF - Bad weather at base. All aircraft diverted to Langham.
29-Dec-44 - Scholven Buer - Lancaster - PD427 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
31-Dec-44 - Osterfeld - Lancaster - NF909 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
02-Jan-45 - Nuremberg - Lancaster - LM132 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
05-Jan-45 - Hanover - Lancaster - LM132 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
07-Jan-45 - Munich - Lancaster - JA857 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
14-Jan-45 - Merseburg - Lancaster - PD287 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
16-Jan-45 - Zeitz - Lancaster - PD281 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
28-Jan-45 - Stuttgart/Zuffenhausen Lancaster - PD281 - F/O CS Hart RAAF - Combat. Attacked once by enemy aircraft but escaped with minor damage.
08-Feb-45 - Politz - Lancaster - PD427 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
13-Feb-45 - Dresden - Lancaster - NF909 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
14-Feb-45 - Chemnitz - Lancaster - NF909 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
20-Feb-45 - Dortmund - Lancaster - NF909 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
21-Feb-45 - Duisburg - Lancaster - PB563 - F/O CS Hart RAAF
23-Feb-45 - Pforzheim - Lancaster - NF909 - F/O CS Hart RAAF - FTR - Night fighter victim. Hit high tension power cable attempting to crash land in Germany.
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F/O Clifford Seymour Hart RAAF – 23 – 103 Sqn - Son of Albert Seymour Hart and Jessie Hart of Curl Curl, New South Wales, Australia - Runnymede Memorial
Sgt M C Godfrey - 103 Sqn – POW – Camp N/K – POW No N/K
F/S K P Lord - 103 Sqn - POW – Camp N/K – POW No N/K
F/S K C Williams - 103 Sqn - POW – Camp N/K – POW No N/K
P/O Angus Albert McGrath RAAF – 23 - 103 Sqn - Son of William James McGrath and Emily May McGrath, of The Rock, New South Wales, Australia - Runnymede Memorial
Sgt W D Rich - 103 Sqn - POW – Camp N/K – POW No N/K
Sgt R D Jones - 103 Sqn - POW – Camp N/K – POW No N/K
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23-Feb-45 - Pforzheim
103 Squadron detailed 18 aircraft for this attack on Pforzheim. All aircraft took off safely in rather poor weather conditions of low cloud but reaching the English coast it cleared and remained good for the remainder of the trip. On arrival in the target area it was seen that the target indicators were well placed and all crews bombed on the Master Bomber's instructions with it is thought good results as many fires and explosions were seen. Bombing was from between 7000 ft and 9000 ft. Defences consisted of a small amount of heavy flak in barrage form but there is believed to have been quite a lot of fighter activity as several machines were seen to go down in the target area. F/L Dobson and F/O Hart are both missing from this operation. All remaining aircraft landed at base.
For this attack on Pforzheim Bomber Command detailed a total of 367 Lancasters and 13 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 6 and 8 Groups and a Film Unit Lancaster. This was the first and only area attack on this target. 10 Lancasters were lost and 2 more crashed in France. The marking and bombing, from only 8,000 ft, were particularly accurate and damage of a most severe nature was inflicted on Pforzheim. 1,825 tons of bombs were it dropped in 22 minutes. The post-war British Bombing Survey Unit estimated that 83 per cent of the town's built-up area was destroyed, probably the greatest proportion in one raid during the war.
Bomber Command's last Victoria Cross of the war was won on this night. The Master Bomber was Captain Edwin Swales, DFC, a South African serving with No 582 Squadron. His Lancaster was twice attacked over the target by a German fighter. Captain Swales could not hear the evasion directions given by his gunners because he was broadcasting his own instructions to the Main Force. 2 engines and the rear turret of the Lancaster were put out of action. Captain Swales continued to control the bombing until the end of the raid and must take some credit for the accuracy of the attack. He set out on the return flight but encountered turbulent cloud and ordered his crew to bale out. This they all did successfully but Captain Swales had no opportunity to leave the aircraft and was killed when it crashed. He is buried at the Leopold War Cemetery at Limburg in Belgium.
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Lancaster - NF909
This machine gave very good service and was lost on its 64th operation. It was first flown operationally by the March crew in August 1944. See below :-
10-Aug-44 – Dugny - Lancaster – NF909 – Sgt DA March RCAF
Item compiled by David Fell
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