CLAYTON, Robert Victor
| Service Number: | 406640 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 March 1941, Perth, WA |
| Last Rank: | Flying Officer |
| Last Unit: | No. 1 Operational Training Unit (RAAF) Nhill, Bairnsdale, East Sale |
| Born: | Alberton, South Australia, 25 June 1911 |
| Home Town: | Victoria Park, Victoria Park, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Muresk Agricultural College, Northam, Western Australia |
| Occupation: | Farmer & Orchardist |
| Died: | Aircraft accident, Eskdale, Victoria, Australia, 4 June 1945, aged 33 years |
| Cemetery: |
Sale War Cemetery, Victoria Plot B. Row D. Grave 8. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bairnsdale Royal Australian Air Force Memorial, Eskdale Beaufort A9-228 Crash Memorial Plaque, Mongans Bridge Beaufort A0-228 Crash Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Mar 1941: | Involvement Flying Officer, 406640 | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Mar 1941: | Enlisted Perth, WA | |
| 3 Mar 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 406640, No. 1 Operational Training Unit (RAAF) Nhill, Bairnsdale, East Sale, Perth, WA |
Help us honour Robert Victor Clayton's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Husband of Flora Isobel CLAYTON, Carmel, WA.
Father of Kate Whittaker CLAYTON, Valma May CLAYTON and Charles Mark CLAYTON
At 1045 hours on Monday 4th June 1945 Beaufort Aircraft A9-228 took off to carry out an operational training exercise. The exercise was a long range sea reconnaissance and night astro flight, the route to be flown was East Sale, Cape Lidstrap-Position 400.00S 140.00E Mt. Gambier, Land and refuel, Mt. Gambier to East Sale. The aircraft landed at Mt. Gambier 1527 hours and took off at 1735 hours on 4th June 1945 and since then no trace of aircraft or crew has been found.
Biography contributed by Ronald Nash
A five-day search of a supposed, but incorrect crash area revealed nothing.
The RAAF convened a court after just five days, to close the case, even though eyewitnesses had provided evidence to the court, of an aircraft crash on Mount Tawonga, a considerable distance away from the RAAF search operation.
Crew members relatives, upset at the planned RAAF court closure, organized their own ground search led by Lieutenant Richard Hamilton of the Volunteer Defense Corps.
On their first day of searching, the ground search group found the crash site on Mount Tawonga within 2.5 hours.
The remains of all four crew members of A9-228 were recovered from the crash site and interred at Sale cemetery.
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