Broadfoot, Clifford McNeil
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Clifford McNeil |
Surname | Broadfoot |
Gender | M |
Age | 24 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 20-02-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of William McNeil Broadfoot and Agnes Perston Broadfoot (née Muir) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax V |
Serial Number | LL255 |
Markings | WL-V |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 8. G. 1-16. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 136 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/24702 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 434 (Bluenose) |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Broadfoot Lake, Manitoba; Between Tadoule and Ryan Lakes |
Country | Canada |
Memorial Type | Lake |
Memorial Text |
Location | Race Control Building, Croft Auto Circuit, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 419 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Roadside Location, A167, Dalton on Tees, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Memorial topped with metal statue |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 419 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed Metal Plaque and Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 434 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Former Control Tower, old Tholthorpe airfield site, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 434 Sqn RCAF |
Miscellaneous Information
Clifford was born at Winnipeg, Manitoba on 17 July 1919. Both parents were born in Glasgow, Scotland and his father worked as an engraver. He had a sister Jean Dorothea. She was educated in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England and was a well known piano teacher in Winnipeg. She achieved international recognition as one of Canada's foremost Senior piano teachers. The schools he attended were Centennial 1925-1934 (General), Centennial High School 1935-1936 (Matric) and Angus Business College (Commercial subjects - shorthand/typing). He had High School entrance, grade XI. His sport interests were aquatics, swimming and skiing, and his hobby was music and horticulture. He worked at United Grain Growers as a junior clerk (1936-1939) and then as a bookkeeper at Robin Hood Flour Mills, 1939-1941. |
Clifford enlisted on 20 January 1942. Unfortunately no movements are recorded until his very last operation. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 19-02-1944 |
End Date | 20-02-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Croft |
Day/Night Raid | Night (22% moon) |
Operation | Leipzig. 823 aircraft, 78 losses (9.5%). Excluding early returners, the Halifax loss rate was 14.9%. As a result, Halifax Mks II and V were permanently withdrawn from service over Germany. The Kiel mine laying diversion was successful in drawing off fighters, but the German controllers only sent half of the available aircraft. As soon as the bomber stream crossed the Dutch coast they were confronted by the remaining half of the fighters and, moreover, the ones sent to Kiel were returned to join the fray. As a consequence, the fighters steadily picked off bombers all the way to this distant target. The winds were strongly than had been predicted and many bombers arrived early and had to orbit the target awaiting the Pathfinders, further increasing the likelihood of being picked off, either by flak or fighters. Leipzig was cloud covered and sky-marking had to be used. Early bombing appeared to be concentrated but later bombing less so. There was no local report nor a reconnaissance flight the following day. An American raid the following day then made it impossible to judge the effectiveness of the raid. |
Reason for Loss | Crashed near Stendal, Germany |