HOUGHTON, Claud Morley [AFM]


No.176435, Pilot Officer, Claud Morley HOUGHTON AFM
Aged 29


630 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Killed in Action on Saturday, 10th June 1944


Born on 22nd April 1915 (2nd qtr 1915 Docking 4b:472) son of Morley Punshon and Louisa HOUGHTON (née COULTEN). He was resident at Barford Road, Sheringham.
In 1939 his parents were at 16 Grove Park, Bury St.Edmunds. In 1911 his father (single) was a porter at the Bury St.Edmunds workhouse



apparently newly commissioned


He had only just been posted to 530 Squadron that month. From 630squadron.wordpress.com "from 17 OTU. and 5 LFS came the former flying instructor 29 year old ex-journalist Flight Sergeant Claud Houghton of Bury St. Edmunds who had finally been granted his wish to fly on Ops after a long and distinguished Instructional tour at No. 10 Advanced Flying Unit (Dumfries) training pilots who were progressing towards operational flying"
the same source has "On 8th June 1944 the London Gazette announced the award of the Air Force Medal to former flying instructor Flight Sergeant Claud Morley Houghton who had eventually been granted his wish to fly on ops and who had just brought his crew back aboard ME782. The AFM had been awarded in recognition of his guts and determination during a long tour of instruction at No. 10 Advanced Flying Unit (Dumfries) training pilots who were progressing towards operational flying. The counterpart of the DFM for gallantry in the face of the enemy, it was awarded for courage away from the front line."

Avro Lancaster Mk3 PB121 c/s LE-F took off from East Kirby at 21:40 on 9th June on a mission to bomb a railway junction at Etampes, France (SW Paris). Reported missing without trace. Transpired it had a protracted battle with a night fighter but lost, crashing near Omerville. Squadron Ops Log (AIR-27-2152-16) has Claud still as Flight Sergeant.

The crew were:- Pilot -F/Sgt Claud Morley Houghton AFM kia, Engineer - Sgt Horace Ison, Navigator - Sgt John Charles Cameron kia, Bomb Aimer F/) Douglas Charles Percy PoW, WOP - Sgt William James Bott kia, Mid Upper Gun - Sgt Russell Edward Dennis (RCAF) kia, Read Gun - Sgt William John Barr (RCAF) kia
One member of the crew survived and became a PoW, surviving the war - The post-war de-briefing of F/O DC Percy records that they were engaged by a night fighter whose second firing pass left PB121 engulfed in flames as its fuel tanks exploded. The bomber crashed at Omerville (Val d’Oise) a hamlet west of Magny-en-Vexin. The six members of the crew who died are buried at Omerville. Doug Percy a regular RAF airman from Wales landed unhurt and assisted by French civilians evaded capture. He was on the loose in Paris on 29th July 1944 when captured by German forces and locked up in the Gestapo prison at Fresnes for two weeks before being moved to Buchenwald Concentration Camp for two months. Eventually he was accepted as an RAF prisoner of war and transferred to Stalag Lift III (Sagan). Night fighter pilots made several claims that night but the most possible claimant for PB121 was Oberleutnant Johannes Werth of the Staff Flight of NJG2 at 00:42 hours.




photo C.W.G.C.


Claud Houghton is buried in Omerville Communal Cemetery, France coll grave 3
Originally six of the crew were buried in the Omerville Military plot behind the town hall and re-interred in March 1948

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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