View source for Clifford Stanley Douglas

{{infobox soldier ww2
| image           =[[File:Unknown.png|300px]]
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| dateofbirth	  = 8 Jun 1921
| placeofbirth	  = Albany, Western Australia
| death	          = 
| placeofdeath	  = 
| enlistmentage	  = 19 years, 4 months
| description	  = 
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| occupation	  = 
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| address	  = Albany highway, Armadale, Western Australia
| relation	  = Mother
| nextofkin       = Mrs Irene Hilda Douglas
| regnumber	  = 406349
| enlistmentdate  = 11 Nov 1940
| rank	          = Warrant Officer
| unit     	  = 460 Squadron
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| fate1	          = Prisoner of War 1 Jun 1942
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}}


==Pre War==


==War Service==
Promoted Sergeant 27 Jun 1941; Promoted Flight Sergeant 1 Jun 1942 (while a POW). His promotion to Warrant Officer followed 12 months service as a Flight Sergeant i.e. 1 Jun 1943. 

No. 460 Squadron, RAAF, was formed at Molesworth in the United Kingdom on 15 November 1941. It was one that resulted from the Empire Air Training Scheme. The squadron became part of the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command, and joined the bombing campaign against Germany. Equipped with Vickers Wellington bombers, it mounted its first raid, against the German city of Emden, on 12 March 1942, and by 1 Jun 1942 Cliff and his crew had participated in 10 previous sorties totalling about 70 hours.
 
On the night of 1 Jun 1942 they participated in an Operational flight, with Cliff as the 2nd Pilot of a Wellington Bomber in an attack on Essen from their base at Breighton, midway between Leeds and England's east coast .  His debrief gives us a idea of what happened and how he spent the next three years.

<Blockquote>"On the return trip while crossing the coast of Holland at a height of several hundred feet were fired on by two flak ships. The plane caught fire - engines and fuselage, and controls were apparently damaged, and we crashed into the sea somewhere near Flushing. I remember nothing from a few seconds before the crash until three or four hours afterwards when the Captain, Navigator, Front Gunner and myself were being taken in an ambulance from a dressing station to hospital at Bergen op Zoom, Holland."

"Saw no trace of Wireless Operator or Rear Gunner after we crashed. Front Gunner died in hospital on 2oth July 1942 from wounds received and was buried at Bergen Op Zoom."

"I was a prisoner in enemy hands from 2 Jun 1942 until released by the Russians on 22 Apr 1945. <ref>Statement by WO Douglas 1 July 1945</ref></blockquote>

He related that they had hot showers about every 10-14 days, but had cold water in all barracks depending on pressure available. Their sanitary facilities were crude but effective.  They played sports, put on theatre shows, musical recitals, had a good general and reference library. Their knowledge of news was confined to that from wirelesses in the camp. 


Cliff had received flesh wounds to his right thigh and left foot. He was captured with Flight Lieutenant Holland, and Sergeants Dansey and Cheese, while Sergeants Bienke and Watson were presumed killed, either before or during the crash. All were RAAF personnel.  On 3 Jun 1942 Cliff had been reported missing to Headquarters by 460 Squadron. 


He was admitted to the Marine Hospital, Bergen op Zoom in Holland from 2 Jun until 27 Jul 1942. On 7 Jul 1942 word had been received in England of his circumstances and his status was amended to POW. Recovered, he was confined initially held in Stalag VIII B 344, and given POW number 2508 from 5 Aug 1942 until 22 Jan 1945. Next he was transferred to Stalag 111A from 8 Feb 1945 until 8 May 1945, although it might be assumed with Russian oversight from 22 April until 8 May 1945.

On release, in his War Crimes Questionnaire he reported inappropriate use of prisoners in dangerous conditions; their use on military works; transport under improper conditions; and collective punishment for offences by others. The last two he had observed himself. During his detention in Stalag 344, many working parties left camp to work in Silesian coal mines. At Bleckhamer the working party camp was surrounded by factory buildings hosting synthetic oil refineries which were the target of allied bombing causing many deaths of POWs. During Jan 1945 , 1300 Air Force personnel were marched as far as Goldberg before being put into cattle trucks for the journey to Luckenwalde.  Many of the POWs in Stalag 344 were from October 1942 kept in chains for about 12 months. They were kept outside in winter months for hours at a time as group punishment for being late for parades.

On repatriation to England Cliff was sent to No 11 Squadron (RAAF) at RAF Station Brighton, and on 23 Jun 1945 he married Dorothy May Dixon


Discharged 26 Nov 1945
==Award Comment==

==Post War==
 
===Notes===
<references />

===External Links===

{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas , Clifford Stanley}}

[[Category:RAAF ww2]]
[[Category:Born Australia ww2]]
[[Category:Born WA ww2]]
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[[Category:Armadale-Kelmscott ww2]]