LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Clarence Edgar TANNER
Service No: 11689
Born: Albany WA, 25 November 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 August 1940 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 83 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Wyton
Died: Air Operations: (No. 83 Squadron Lancaster aircraft R5913), France, 28 February 1943, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Escoublac-la-Baule War Cemetery, Loire-Atlantique, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Clarence Stephen and Millicent Tanner; husband of Florence Lorna Tanner, of West Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1845 hours on the night of 28 February 1943 Lancaster R5913 took off from Wyton detailed to bomb St Nazaire, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed in the vicinity of the target and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of R5913 were:
Sergeant Charles Thomas Clifton (1387289) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Warrant Officer II Glen Howard Corrie (R/78953) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Sylvester Danahy (J/16385) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer John McCartney (134650) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant John Henry McKenna (1316285) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Francis Arthur Mallett Shooter DFM (128684) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Clarence Edgar Tanner (11689) (Flight Engineer)
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 1166/39/30