LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Clifford Alexander VIERITZ
Service No: 434128
Born: Brisbane QLD, 17 August 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 15 October 1942
Unit: No. 622 Squadron (RAF), RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk
Died: Air Operations: (No. 622 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NF965), France, 12 September 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Bas-Rhin, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Gustav Adolf and Jessie Millar Vieritz, of Darra, Queensland, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the night of 12/13th September 1944, Lancaster NF965 took off from RAF Mildenhall, at 1827 hours, detailed to bomb Frankfurt, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry team later reported: “ NF 965 was presumably hit by anti-aircraft fire and collided in the air with No. 625 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM512 (Flying Officer Howard Norman Cornish (417807) (Pilot)) at 2250 hours. Both aircraft exploded in the air, and crashed on the west bank of the Rhine near the village of Stattmatten, 4 kms south west of Roschwog, (Alsace). Both crews totalling 15 members were killed.
The crew members of NF965 were:
Sergeant Walter Andrew Drewett (1852711) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Douglas Thomas Forrest (1826053) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer John Robert Umphelby Jamieson (424417) (Navigator)
Sergeant Stanley Minnis (1796309) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer George William Owen (157392) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Philip John Tofield (154207) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Clifford Alexander Vieritz (434128) (Wireless 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, 166/42/85