LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Harold Paul CLANCY
Service No: 413825
Born: Sydney NSW, 31 May 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 September 1941
Unit: No. 216 Group (RAF), No. 4 Ferry Control Unit
Died: Aircraft Accident (Wellington aircraft HE790), Iraq, 21 July 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Habbaniya War Cemetery, Iraq
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Claude Arthur Stanley and Margaret Violet Clancy, of Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia; husband of June Clancy, of Rozelle, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Kempsey NSW
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the 21st July 1943, Wellington HE790 took off form RAF Habbaniya, Iraq, en route to Karachi, Eye witnesses said the take off appeared normal and the aircraft cleared the bund, going well at about 150 feet. The aircraft continued climbing and then it nosed down and crashed at 0325Z hours, one mile from the aerodrome. It was considered that the accident was caused by “loss of flying control by the Pilot, due to either fire in the aircraft or the Pilot’s incapacitation.” All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of HE790 were:
Flight Sergeant Harold Paul Clancy (413825) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Kenneth Graig Earnshaw (1579031) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Frank Harrison (413863) (Pilot)
Sergeant Stanley Frank Hook (658749) (RAF) (Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Percival James Whittard (416238) (Air Gunner)
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, 166/7/152