Biography of William Clark Gadd · Spitfire Association

Squadron/s: 453 SQN
Rank On Discharge/Death: Warrant Officer (WOFF)
Mustering / Specialisation: Pilot
Date of Birth: 29 Sep 1923
Contributing Author/s: Compiled by Vince Conant

February 2015

The Spitfire Association

Bill was born on the 29th of September 1923 at Crystal Brook in South Australia. As a Spitfire pilot with 453 Squadron on the UK, he was shot down over enemy occupied Holland on the 21st of February 1945 and listed as missing in action! There is little further information on file except the inference that he was assisted by the Dutch Underground to return to Britain.

Bill studied dentistry after the war and joined the RAAF Reserve as a dentist.

Aircraft Record

SM244 Mk.LFXVIE 8MU 27-10-44, 453 Sqn RAAF 09-11-44, FTR ops 21-02-45, W/O W Gadd Ser#416946 was s/d and forced landed near Rijswijk, Holland. SOC 01-03-45.

Squadron in which William served

453 SQN

Photographs

Back row: 416941 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Lloyd George Edmonds (accidentally killed in the United Kingdom on 21 January 1944); 415471 Flt Sgt Neil Walton Flanagan; 415472 Leading Aircraftman (LAC) Reginald Fruin; 409994 Warrant Officer (WO) Francis Joseph Harrington; 409991 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Alexander George Goudie; 416957 LAC Lincoln Lloyd Hamilton; 416951 Flt Lt Elwyn Frederick Glasson; 416955 Flying Officer (FO) Henry Arthur Morphett Gunson; 416942 WO Phillip Charles Endersby; 409987 WO Peter Field Ferry; 409993 FO Thomas Taylor Hall; L Grimshaw, possibly 416954 FO Keith Grimshaw; 409995 Flt Lt Benjamin Rupert Harrison. Centre row: G A Grant, probably 416953 Pilot Officer (PO) Graham Athol Grant (lost on operations over the United Kingdom on 21 February 1944); 415469 WO John Hold Duffield; 415474 FO John Hamilton Grahame; 416949 PO Bryan Wilba Giddings (lost on operations over France on 10 June 1944); 416959 Flt Lt Cyril Tristrem Joseph Harper; J Goldsworthy, possibly 409990 Flt Lt John Lawrence Goldsworthy; 415475 WO Leonard George Grose; H N Fisher; 416943 FO Donald William Ferguson (accidentally killed in Charters Towers Queensland on 22 March 1944); 415468 Corporal (Cpl) Norman Wallace Falkiner Downie: 416956 LAC Norman Dudley Haines (accidentally killed in South Australia on 4 August 1942); 416960 FO Colin Reginald Harrington; 416944 FO Ronald Frank Fricker: 409988 WO Neil McMillan Gifford. Front row: 28828 Sergeant (Sgt) Raymond Charles Earney; 416950 Flt Lt Donald Ray Gilmore; 257427 PO James Harry Fry; E W Gallager; H Dedman, probably 415467 FO Harold George Day Dedman (lost on operations over United Kingdom on 16 December 1943); H B Hancock, probably 416958 FO Harold Bain Hancock; Sgt Bowman; 416952 FO Ashton Noye Gould; 409992 PO Robert Bruce Groves (lost on operations over France on 7 July 1942); 410027 FO Thomas Colin Faulks; 415473 WO Allan John Galbraith; N W Harris; 409989 LAC William Morrison Gillespie; 04532 Flt Lt William Clark Gadd.