CAPTAIN: CLARKE
LANCASTER JB535 OF-Q
30 January 1944, shot down by night fighter, North Holland. The entire crew was killed.
CREW
LANCASTER JB535 OF-Q
30 January 1944, shot down by night fighter, North Holland. The entire crew was killed.
CREW
Pilot: Ernest Sumner Clarke
Flight Engineer: Richard Venville Thomas Bowerman
Navigator: Eric James Lovelace Carpenter
Bomb Aimer: Norman Charles Law (RAAF), known as "Shorty Law"
W/Op: George Ridley
M/U Gunner: Eric Thomas Charles (RAAF)
Rear Gunner: Roger Perryman Wishart (RAAF)
Clarke was one of the second pilots on Black Thursday and won a mention in despatches for his flying skills in landing Cawdery's Lancaster.
Flight Engineer: Richard Venville Thomas Bowerman
Navigator: Eric James Lovelace Carpenter
Bomb Aimer: Norman Charles Law (RAAF), known as "Shorty Law"
W/Op: George Ridley
M/U Gunner: Eric Thomas Charles (RAAF)
Rear Gunner: Roger Perryman Wishart (RAAF)
Clarke was one of the second pilots on Black Thursday and won a mention in despatches for his flying skills in landing Cawdery's Lancaster.
Ernest Sumner Clarke, Richard Venville Thomas Bowerman, Eric James Lovelace Carpenter, Norman Charles Law, George Ridley, Eric Thomas Charles, Roger Perryman Wishart (RAAF)
From the ORB
30/31 January 1944 - Berlin
JB535Q F/L E.S.Clarke, Sgt R.V.Bowerman, P/O E.J.Carpenter, F/O W.C.Law, Sgt G.Ridley, P/O T.E.Charles, F/L R.P.Wishart. Up 1715 - missing.
Extract from Bomber Command Losses
Lancaster III JB535 OF - Q. Op Berlin. T/O 1715 Bourn. Believed shot down by a night fighter, crashing 2210 local time at Kolhorn (Noord-Holland), 7km ENE of Schagen. All were buried on 1 February in Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery. Sgt Bowerman was 18 years old, and if he was F/L Clarke's regular flight engineer, had participated in 39 operational sorties.
30/31 January 1944 - Berlin
JB535Q F/L E.S.Clarke, Sgt R.V.Bowerman, P/O E.J.Carpenter, F/O W.C.Law, Sgt G.Ridley, P/O T.E.Charles, F/L R.P.Wishart. Up 1715 - missing.
Extract from Bomber Command Losses
Lancaster III JB535 OF - Q. Op Berlin. T/O 1715 Bourn. Believed shot down by a night fighter, crashing 2210 local time at Kolhorn (Noord-Holland), 7km ENE of Schagen. All were buried on 1 February in Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery. Sgt Bowerman was 18 years old, and if he was F/L Clarke's regular flight engineer, had participated in 39 operational sorties.
An Introductory Note.
Following the initial setting up of this page on 12/12/2008, we received some very interesting information from Jan Nieuwenhuis on Texel (for Jan's very busy RAF research life, see details at end of this page). He also found a link to an Australian website page for Eric Charles, the bomb aimer, which had photos of Eric and two others of the crew. Unfortunately there is no email address or other contact details for the website. A message has been sent to the website host, to try and get in touch with whoever posted the photographs. In the meantime, I am taking the liberty of including them on this page, as I feel that the spirit of the two websites is very similar.
Following the initial setting up of this page on 12/12/2008, we received some very interesting information from Jan Nieuwenhuis on Texel (for Jan's very busy RAF research life, see details at end of this page). He also found a link to an Australian website page for Eric Charles, the bomb aimer, which had photos of Eric and two others of the crew. Unfortunately there is no email address or other contact details for the website. A message has been sent to the website host, to try and get in touch with whoever posted the photographs. In the meantime, I am taking the liberty of including them on this page, as I feel that the spirit of the two websites is very similar.
On the original 466 Squadron Wellington crew, then on to 97 Squadron Lancasters
Left: Norman Law, Bomb Aimer
Below: George Ridley, W/Op
Right and Below: Eric Charles
Left: Norman Law, Bomb Aimer
Below: George Ridley, W/Op
Right and Below: Eric Charles
FROM JAN NIEUWENHUIS
AIRCRAFT
Type: Lancaster Mk. III
Registration: JB535 'OF-Q' "Queenie"
Unit: 97 Squadron - 8 Group Bomber Command
Base: Bourn - Cambridgeshire
Remarks: When lost the aircraft had a total of 97 hours of flying time and it was one of two 97 "Straits Settlements" Squadron Lancasters lost on this operation.
MISSION/CRASH
Target/Mission: Berlin
Take-off date: 30-1-1944 at 17:15
Crash location: Noord-Holland province - At Kolhorn, about 6 kilometer east of Schagen.
Crash date: 30-1-1944 at 22:10
Casualties: 7 KIA
Cause: Shot down by a night-fighter, probably coming from Leeuwarden airfield (Friesland province).
Remarks: A wing and an engine were shot on fire which caused the wing to break of the aircraft; At the same time the aircraft exploded in the air.
CREW
Name: Bowerman, Richard Venville Thomas
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 18
Service: 1605444
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Regiment: Sergeant
Assignment: Flight Engineer
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 1.
Remarks: He was buried on 1st February 1944.
Personal details: -
Name: Carpenter, Eric James Lovelace
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 21
Service: 147119
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Regiment: Flying Officer
Assignment: Navigator
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 2.
Remarks: He was buried on 1st February 1944.
Personal details: Son of James Jacob John and Florence Lovelace Carpenter, of Welling, Kent, United Kingdom.
Name: Charles, Thomas Eric
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 25
Service: 412902
Regiment: Royal Australian Air Force
Regiment: Flying Officer
Assignment: Air Gunner
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 6.
Remarks: He was assigned as Mid-Upper Gunner and was buried on 1st February 1944. He is commemorated on panel 120 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell/Canberra, Australia.
Personal details: Born on 17th July 1918 in Narrabri, New South Wales as son of Thomas and Mary Jane Charles, of Sebastopol, New South Wales. Australia. He was a farmer prior to enlistment on 15th August 1941 in Sydney, New South Wales. Australia, and trained with the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) in Canada and Britain.
Name: Clarke, Ernest Sumner
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 22
Service: 107142
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Regiment: Flight Lieutenant
Assignment: Pilot
Awards: Mentioned in Despatches
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 3.
Remarks: He was buried on 1st February 1944.
Personal details: Son of Frederick Ernest and Adah Mary Clarke, of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Name: Law, Norman Charles
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 26
Service: 415432
Regiment: Royal Australian Air Force
Regiment: Flying Officer
Assignment: Bomb Aimer
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 7.
Remarks: He was buried on 1st February 1944 and is commemorated on panel 125 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell/Canberra, Australia.
Personal details: Born on 23rd October 1917 in Perth, West Australia as son of Charles Keaton Law and Jeanne Madeline Law; husband of Evelyn Maud Law, of Victoria Park, Western Australia. He was employed as a clerk prior to enlistment on 12th October 1941 in Perth, West Australia.
Name: Ridley, George
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age:
Service: 949503
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Regiment: Flight Sergeant
Assignment: Wireless Operator
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 4.
Remarks: He was buried on 1st February 1944.
Personal details: -
Name: Wishart, Rodger Peryman
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 23
Service: 400907
Regiment: Royal Australian Air Force
Regiment: Flight Lieutenant
Assignment: Air Gunner
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 5.
Remarks: He was assigned as Rear Gunner and was found dead sitting behind his guns in the tail section of the aircraft. He was buried on 1st February 1944 and is commemorated on panel 132 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell/Canberra, Australia.
Personal details: Born on 10th November 1920 in Prospect, South Australia, as son of Harold Peryman Wishart [Born: 16th October 1888 in Adelaide, South Australia; Died: 7th April 1965 in Hampton, Victoria, Australia] and Daisy Vera Wishart (nee Latter), of Pascoe Vale South, Victoria, Australia. He had a older sister Alison Mary [Born: 7th February 1916 in Mannum, Adelaide, South Australia; Died: 26th May 1980], and a younger brother, David. He was employed as a junior salesman prior to enlistment on 10th November 1940 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
DETAILS FROM:
Jan Nieuwenhuis: Webmaster/Editor & Archive/Database Management: Aeronautical- & War Museum Texel - http://www.lomt.nl/
Webmaster/editor "WW-II Allied Aircraft Crashes in The Netherlands" - http://ww2.texlaweb.nl/
Below is the Dutch crash report: translation link.
AIRCRAFT
Type: Lancaster Mk. III
Registration: JB535 'OF-Q' "Queenie"
Unit: 97 Squadron - 8 Group Bomber Command
Base: Bourn - Cambridgeshire
Remarks: When lost the aircraft had a total of 97 hours of flying time and it was one of two 97 "Straits Settlements" Squadron Lancasters lost on this operation.
MISSION/CRASH
Target/Mission: Berlin
Take-off date: 30-1-1944 at 17:15
Crash location: Noord-Holland province - At Kolhorn, about 6 kilometer east of Schagen.
Crash date: 30-1-1944 at 22:10
Casualties: 7 KIA
Cause: Shot down by a night-fighter, probably coming from Leeuwarden airfield (Friesland province).
Remarks: A wing and an engine were shot on fire which caused the wing to break of the aircraft; At the same time the aircraft exploded in the air.
CREW
Name: Bowerman, Richard Venville Thomas
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 18
Service: 1605444
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Regiment: Sergeant
Assignment: Flight Engineer
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 1.
Remarks: He was buried on 1st February 1944.
Personal details: -
Name: Carpenter, Eric James Lovelace
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 21
Service: 147119
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Regiment: Flying Officer
Assignment: Navigator
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 2.
Remarks: He was buried on 1st February 1944.
Personal details: Son of James Jacob John and Florence Lovelace Carpenter, of Welling, Kent, United Kingdom.
Name: Charles, Thomas Eric
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 25
Service: 412902
Regiment: Royal Australian Air Force
Regiment: Flying Officer
Assignment: Air Gunner
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 6.
Remarks: He was assigned as Mid-Upper Gunner and was buried on 1st February 1944. He is commemorated on panel 120 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell/Canberra, Australia.
Personal details: Born on 17th July 1918 in Narrabri, New South Wales as son of Thomas and Mary Jane Charles, of Sebastopol, New South Wales. Australia. He was a farmer prior to enlistment on 15th August 1941 in Sydney, New South Wales. Australia, and trained with the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) in Canada and Britain.
Name: Clarke, Ernest Sumner
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 22
Service: 107142
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Regiment: Flight Lieutenant
Assignment: Pilot
Awards: Mentioned in Despatches
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 3.
Remarks: He was buried on 1st February 1944.
Personal details: Son of Frederick Ernest and Adah Mary Clarke, of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Name: Law, Norman Charles
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 26
Service: 415432
Regiment: Royal Australian Air Force
Regiment: Flying Officer
Assignment: Bomb Aimer
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 7.
Remarks: He was buried on 1st February 1944 and is commemorated on panel 125 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell/Canberra, Australia.
Personal details: Born on 23rd October 1917 in Perth, West Australia as son of Charles Keaton Law and Jeanne Madeline Law; husband of Evelyn Maud Law, of Victoria Park, Western Australia. He was employed as a clerk prior to enlistment on 12th October 1941 in Perth, West Australia.
Name: Ridley, George
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age:
Service: 949503
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Regiment: Flight Sergeant
Assignment: Wireless Operator
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 4.
Remarks: He was buried on 1st February 1944.
Personal details: -
Name: Wishart, Rodger Peryman
KIA/MIA/POW: Killed In Action
Age: 23
Service: 400907
Regiment: Royal Australian Air Force
Regiment: Flight Lieutenant
Assignment: Air Gunner
Awards: -
Date perished: Sunday, 30th Januari 1944
Cemetery/Memorial: Barsingerhorn (Kolhorn) General Cemetery - The Netherlands
Reference: Grave 5.
Remarks: He was assigned as Rear Gunner and was found dead sitting behind his guns in the tail section of the aircraft. He was buried on 1st February 1944 and is commemorated on panel 132 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell/Canberra, Australia.
Personal details: Born on 10th November 1920 in Prospect, South Australia, as son of Harold Peryman Wishart [Born: 16th October 1888 in Adelaide, South Australia; Died: 7th April 1965 in Hampton, Victoria, Australia] and Daisy Vera Wishart (nee Latter), of Pascoe Vale South, Victoria, Australia. He had a older sister Alison Mary [Born: 7th February 1916 in Mannum, Adelaide, South Australia; Died: 26th May 1980], and a younger brother, David. He was employed as a junior salesman prior to enlistment on 10th November 1940 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
DETAILS FROM:
Jan Nieuwenhuis: Webmaster/Editor & Archive/Database Management: Aeronautical- & War Museum Texel - http://www.lomt.nl/
Webmaster/editor "WW-II Allied Aircraft Crashes in The Netherlands" - http://ww2.texlaweb.nl/
Below is the Dutch crash report: translation link.
Battle of Berlin - November 1943-March 1944
Ernest Clarke
Ernest Clarke was born in Belfast on June 2nd 1921. His father was a cashier in the linen business and a keen violinist; his mother had been a music teacher. At school he excelled in Latin and Greek and should have gone to university (he lived in University Avenue!) but the family finances were very stretched, so he went to work for an insurance company when he was 15. His older sister married and went to Canada where sadly she died of TB in 1941. His younger sister is still alive and living in the Yorkshire Dales.
In spring 1939 when he was still 17, Ernest volunteered for the RAF, there being no conscription in Northern Ireland. He had never been to England; camping with the Boy Scouts had been his only introduction to life away from home. In the first months of training with No 2 Squadron, 3 I.T.W. at Hastings he developed physically as well as mentally, and rapidly became a very keen sergeant pilot. Subsequently, he variously flew Ansons, Hampdens, Wellingtons and of course Lancasters and was with 144 Squadron (Hemswell & North Luffenham), No 14 O.T.U.(Cottesmore), No. 7 F.S.I.(Upavon) and finally with 97 Squadron with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He was mentioned in Dispatches on 1 January 1942.
Known as Paddy in the RAF, he trained on Ansons and Wellingtons before starting his 200 hours Ops. on Hampdens. In the mess he was useful as the camp pianist - he could play anything by ear, and when on leave there were always great sing-songs at home. As an Instructor he formed a great admiration for Australians and on his last flight, now as a Flight Lieutenant flying a Lancaster Bomber, he had an Anglo/Australian crew. On leave just before this he brought his bomb aimer, "Shorty" Law, home with him and his last letter to his much loved mother was written just after that.
Written on 30 01 09, the 65th anniversary of the crash, by his sister Barbara.
Ernest Clarke was born in Belfast on June 2nd 1921. His father was a cashier in the linen business and a keen violinist; his mother had been a music teacher. At school he excelled in Latin and Greek and should have gone to university (he lived in University Avenue!) but the family finances were very stretched, so he went to work for an insurance company when he was 15. His older sister married and went to Canada where sadly she died of TB in 1941. His younger sister is still alive and living in the Yorkshire Dales.
In spring 1939 when he was still 17, Ernest volunteered for the RAF, there being no conscription in Northern Ireland. He had never been to England; camping with the Boy Scouts had been his only introduction to life away from home. In the first months of training with No 2 Squadron, 3 I.T.W. at Hastings he developed physically as well as mentally, and rapidly became a very keen sergeant pilot. Subsequently, he variously flew Ansons, Hampdens, Wellingtons and of course Lancasters and was with 144 Squadron (Hemswell & North Luffenham), No 14 O.T.U.(Cottesmore), No. 7 F.S.I.(Upavon) and finally with 97 Squadron with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He was mentioned in Dispatches on 1 January 1942.
Known as Paddy in the RAF, he trained on Ansons and Wellingtons before starting his 200 hours Ops. on Hampdens. In the mess he was useful as the camp pianist - he could play anything by ear, and when on leave there were always great sing-songs at home. As an Instructor he formed a great admiration for Australians and on his last flight, now as a Flight Lieutenant flying a Lancaster Bomber, he had an Anglo/Australian crew. On leave just before this he brought his bomb aimer, "Shorty" Law, home with him and his last letter to his much loved mother was written just after that.
Written on 30 01 09, the 65th anniversary of the crash, by his sister Barbara.