Clynes, Michel George Died

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Personal Information

Rank W/O
Forename(s) Michel George
Surname Clynes
Gender M
Age 29
Decorations CGM
Date of Death 26-11-1943
CLYNES MG

Aircraft Information

Aircraft Handley Page Halifax V
Serial Number LK973
Markings SE-E

Memorial Information

Burial/Memorial Country Germany
Burial/Memorial Place Durnbach War Cemetery
Grave Reference Coll. grave 9. G. 17-19.

IBCC Memorial Information

Map
Directions to panel 146
CLYNES MG

Location

Row -
Panel 146
Column -
Line -

Directions From the Chadwick Centre, take the central path towards The Spire.

Phase 2
Panel Number 146

Enlistment Information

Service Number 1377364
Service Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Group 6
Squadron 431 (Iroquois)
Squadron Motto The hatiten ronteriios (Warriors of the air)
Trade Air Gunner
Country of Origin United Kingdom

Other Memorials

Location Adjacent to A19, Burn, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Memorial Stone
Memorial Text A memorial to all those who served on 431 Sqn RCAF at RCAF Burn, 1942-1943
Location Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Memorial Stone with inscribed metal plaques & Maple Tree
Memorial Text In memory of all those who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2 including 431 Sqn RCAF
Location Old Control Tower, former airfield site, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Metal Plaque
Memorial Text In memory of all those who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2 including 431 Sqn RCAF
Location Allerton Park Castle, Allerton, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Metal Plaque
Memorial Text Memorial Garden dedicated to the 4272 personnel of 6 (RCAF) Gp based at Allerton Castle who gave the ultimate sacrifice during WWII to preserve our freedom
Location Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Propeller Unit & Inscribed Marble Tablets
Memorial Text Dedicated to the men & women of 6 (RCAF) Gp Bomber Command and to the 9980 Canadians lost serving in Bomber Command.

Miscellaneous Information

Born 1914.
Served with No. 104 Squadron in the Middle East, where he destroyed two enemy fighters. His undated CGM Recommendation states he had flown 47 ½ sorties but could not give total hours as his logbook had been destroyed by enemy action on his first tour. He had flown 45 sorties with No. 104 Squadron, commencing with a raid on Cologne (30 July 1941). In all he flew twelve trips in Bomber Command (the aircraft being damaged on six of them). He went to Egypt in mid-October 1941 and commenced operations in North Africa on 19 October 1941. His last recorded sortie in that theatre was 20 November 1942, although a certificate from the Commanding Officer of No. 104 stated he had flown nine additional trips for which no record had survived. His second tour (with No. 431 Squadron) had begun on 12 May 1943 (Duisburg).
CGM Citation: "This Warrant Officer has successfully completed a large number of operational sorties. He has taken part in attacks against Tripoli, Naples, Catania, Benghazi and other targets in the Middle East and North Africa. He has also attacked some of the most heavily defended targets in Germany. On four occasions his aircraft has been attacked by night fighters and each time he has successfully directed his captain's evasive action. During these combats he has destroyed at least two enemy aircraft. Over long period has set splendid example of courage, determination and devotion to duty."

The National Archives

Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1857/14
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1857/14

Fellow Servicemen

Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.

Name Outcome
Holmes R (F/S) Died
La Flamme J G E (Sgt) Died
Milner G S (P/O) Died
Morton J (P/O) Died
Rands D F (F/O) Died
Rich G H (P/O) Died
Short D R P (F/O) Died

Last Operation Information

Start Date 25-11-1943
End Date 26-11-1943
Takeoff Station Tholthorpe
Day/Night Raid Night (3% moon)
Operation Frankfurt. 262 aircraft, mainly Halifaxes. 12 losses (4.6%) with no diversionary raids. The German controller correctly surmised that Frankfurt was the target. Cloud cover led to scattered bombing and it is thought that fewer than 100 bombs landed on the city. 80 deaths on the ground and 1500 people were bombed out
Reason for Aircraft Loss Crashed in Seckbach on the NE outskirts of Frankfurt after encounter with German nightfighter
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Casualty Pack

IBCC is delighted to introduce a unique facility to link the Losses Database to the relevant RAF Casualty Pack on the National Archives website. This project is the result of on-going collaboration between IBCC, the MOD Records Office and National Archives, Kew. This document describes what Casualty Packs are, when they were created, the process of making them available to the public and then goes on to describe the process by which you can view the contents of the packs. Casualty Packs (CPs) were created by the RAF whenever there was serious injury or loss of life associated with operational activity within the RAF. This includes operational flying losses, enemy action due to air raids, road accidents either on station or even off-station if they involved RAF vehicles. Deaths due to natural causes in service or accidents that did not involve RAF vehicles did not generally give rise to a CP.

CPs were originally given a unique reference number by the RAF. Each begins with the letter ‘P’ and is followed by six digits, then an oblique (forward slash) and the finally the year in which the incident took place- for example P396154/42.

The CPs are in the process of being made available to the general public as they are passed from the MOD Records Office, Portsmouth to National Archives, Kew. This process requires some rework to the files which is very time consuming, so the process of making them all available to National Archives will take several years. They are being made available in increasing date order.

Once CPs arrive at National Archives they are assigned a unique AIR81 number, so each CP has both a P-number and an AIR81 number. Both are searchable on the National Archives website under ‘Search the catalogue’ and both are included on the IBCC website.

The AIR81 reference on the IBCC website is a link to the file on the National Archives website. When you click on it, the relevant page will open in a new tab on your browser.

There is currently no plan to digitise AIR81 files, partly because they are fragile and partly because the information they contain can at times be sensitive, even harrowing, since they may contain exhumation reports and even photographs of corpses. Family members wishing to read the AIR81 files relating to their ancestors are advised to exercise caution and be guided by National Archives warnings where appropriate.

There are two means for accessing AIR81 files- to attend in person or to order a copy by post.

To attend in person, the attendee should first create a Reader’s Ticket. This can be done online by following this link: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/login/yourdetails. Then click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and click Order in Advance. Enter your Reader’s Ticket number and state the date on which you intend to visit. National Archives will have the file ready for you when you arrive, saving you time. When you visit Kew, you must quote the Reader’s Ticket number and take along two forms of ID- one bearing your signature and one bearing your address. When you view the files, you are permitted to take photographs of each page, should you wish.

Alternatively, if you wish to order a copy by post, please be aware that there is a charge for this service based on the number of pages in the file. Click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and then click Request a Copy. There is an £8.40 charge for National Archives staff to access the file and give you a quotation for the copying service. The process takes around 24 days to complete and can be expensive.

IBCC wishes to thank the staff at the MOD Records Office and National Archives for their engagement and assistance in making this facility available to our website users.