LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Clifton MacLeay BRIGDEN
Service No: 411439
Born: Kempsey NSW, 13 June 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 April 1941
Unit: No. 51 Squadron (RAF), RAF Snaith, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 51 Squadron Halifax aircraft HR787), Germany, 27 April 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles Henry and Violet Mary Brigden, of Enfield, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Bellingen NSW
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Bellingen War Memorial, Bellingen NSW
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
Halifax HR787 took off from RAF Snaith at 0026 hours on 27 April 1943 detailed to attack Duisburg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was established from German documents that the aircraft crashed 2 kms east of Kleinen Broich, and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of HR787 were:
Flight Sergeant Clifton MacLeay Brigden (411439) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Wesley Victor Chittock (408564) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Bryant Francis Kingdom Green (406804) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Donald Griffith (1237253) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant George Clare Peters (657052) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Richard George Henry Sees (577651) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Norman Thompson (1334603) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant William Holding (1078836) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/6/121
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line