Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Memorial – Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Memorial – Flying Officer Jacques Robert Olivier Clerc is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Memorial – Flying Officer Jacques Robert Olivier Clerc is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Photo of JACQUES ROBERT OLIVIER CLERC – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Identification – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Photo of JACQUES ROBERT OLIVIER CLERC – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Memorial – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Memorial – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Memorial – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Other – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Other – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Other – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Other – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Other – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Other – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Memorial – Story and photos courtesy Airwar Over Denmark www.flensted.eu.com Halifax III MZ808 crashed at Langøre between the island of Fyn and Helnæs 16/8 1944. The aircraft belonged to RCAF 433 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded BM-P. T/o 21:27 Skipton on Swale. OP: Gardening Kiel Bay. When outbound flying at 4400 metres the Halifax was attacked by a German night fighter piloted by Oberleutnant Herbert Koch at 1./ NJG 3. It caught fire and exploded in the air before crashing at Langøre between the island of Fyn and Helnæs at 23:52 hours. Around 01:00 hours people living in the area of Sønderby Klint heard shouts for help from the sea and a motorboat was launched to try to rescue the flyers. It found Navigator F/O George H. Gill and Air Gnr. F/O Philippe R. Marchildon 1 kilometres off the farm 'Strandlyst' and took them to the hospital in Assens. They were then taken to the German barracks in town. In the afternoon they were sent to Dulag Luft at Oberursel for questioning. After a few days Gill was sent to Stalag Luft I Barth and Marchildon was sent to Stalag Luft II Sagan. In the morning two bodies were found washed ashore near Saltofte and two were found on the beach a little south of 'Strandlyst' farm. They were all found to be wearing an inflated Mae West and three of them had managed to release their parachute after landing in the sea. The four bodies were during the afternoon taken to Sønderby cemetery and buried in a common grave without coffins by the Wehrmacht. They were Air Bomber F/O Jacques O. Clerc RCAF, Flt. Engr. Sgt Robert F. Young RAF, Air Gnr. F/Sgt John W. Moffat RCAF and Pilot F/Lt John A. Morgan RCAF. On 24/8 the body of W/Op P/O Courtney R. Steward RCAF was found entangled in some wreckage in the sea and taken to Sønderby cemetery where it was laid to rest on 25/8 1944.

Memorial Wall at Sonderby Churchyard – Text: These allied airmen found death in the Little Belt on 17 August 1944. Danes erected this memorial in gratitude for the liberation of Denmark. It was unveiled after a memorial service on 9 July 1947 by Professor Charly Clerc, Zurich, father of Flying Officer Clerc. (Finn Buch) Courtesy of www.flensted.eu.com