Personnel Index - Detail

Name
MORLEY
First Names
Clifford William
Rank
Sgt
Service
RAF
Service Number
1579539
Crew Position
Air Gunner
Posting In
10/42
Posting Out
10/43
Cemetery

 

Flew 30 operations as a mid upper and rear gunner.
 

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F/Sgt Morley was sadly killed on 31st August 1944 whilst flying out of Foggia (Italy) with 12 (SAAF) Sqn and is buried in Montecchio War Cemetery.

Images and additonal details courtesy of Deena Wardle.

F/Sgt Morley was "borrowed" by 617Sqn and took part in the ill fated low level attack on the Dortmund-Ems Canal on September 16th 1943.

He was almost certainly manning the normally unoccupied front turret making a crew size of eight. It was hoped that this would add further firepower to the Lancaster to counteract the strong defences that were expected around this target.
However, this turned out to be a black night for 617Sqn who lost 5 out of 8 aircraft.
F/Sgt Morley was with one of the three surviving aircrews.

For more details on this raid click the link to the Canal Raids website and view the Ladbergen 1943 page.

(The linked website opens in a new window).

After the raid Sgt Morley wrote a letter home..........click to view an enlarged version.

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He records.....
"I'll never do another with them. I could have dropped when I returned off it. Only eight of us went but only three of us got back alive and well. It was a continual fight with their guns and searchlights against our guns. Its (617Sqn) nicknamed 'Death and Glory' and believe me it's right."

A selection of pages from F/S Morley's logbook are available to download.
They record some "shaky does" including being upside down in the target area.
It also records his operations with 617Sqn and some of his time at 70 OTU (based at Shandur, Egypt) as well as the final entry where death was presumed.
 

Click here to open or download the PDF file (approx 6mb).
 

Image provided by Peter Hyde

Sgt B A Gumbley, P/O A Creamer, Sgt R Hyde, Sgt J CampbellSgt R A G Turner, Sgt J Wood, Sgt C W Morley.

Information and images from Deena Wardle, a niece of F/S Morley:
My uncle's aircraft was flying in formation from Foggia, Italy toward its target in Pescaro. One of the other aircraft exploded mid air and unfortunately the debris from this explosion brought down my uncle's aircraft.
Following a full tour with 49Sqn (and 617Sqn) F/S Morley was serving as a volunteer with 12 Sqn SAAF at the time.
I am hoping to secure his inclusion on the South African Air Force Roll of Honour.
 

A copy of Sgt Morley's last final home is show below.......click to open an enlarged version in a new window.

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