Thomas Malcolm's Story.
Thomas Malcolm Clothier was born at Matamata, New Zealand to parents Mr. & Mrs. J. Clothier on the 3lst March, 1919 and received his secondary education at Matamata District High School, where he gained his Intermediate Certificate. His sporting interests were mainly cycling. Prior to joining the R.N.Z.A.F. he was employed on farming duties on his father's farm. He served with the Territorials for seven months.F/Sgt Clothier made an application for service in the RNZAF on the 12th August, 1941, and was enlisted at Hobsonville on the 30th May, 1942. He was employed on ground duties until July, 1942 on which date he proceeded to the Initial Training Wing, Rotorua.
On the completion of his initial training, he embarked for Canada on the 2nd October, 1942. On arrival in Canada F/Sgt. Clothier was posted to No. 3 Wireless School, Winnipeg, Manitoba. On the 20th May, 1943, he proceeded to No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School, Dafoe, Saskatchewan, where on the 28th June, 1943 he was awarded his air gunner's badge and promoted to Sergeant.
He was promoted to Flight Sergeant six months later. On the 10th July, 1943, he proceeded to No. 31 Operational Training Unit, Debert, Nova Scotia, where he trained on Hudson bomber aircraft. He embarked for the United Kingdom on the 22nd October, 1943. F/Sgt Clothier arrived at No. 12 (RNZAF) Personnel Despatch & Receiving Centre, Brighton, on the 30th October and was posted to No. 8 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit, Mona, Isle of Anglesey, on the 11th January, 1944. With this unit he carried out exercises as wireless telegraphy operator on Avro Anson aircraft. F/Sgt. Clothier was a member of the crew of an Anson N5130, which took off on a training flight on the 15th February, 1944, and crashed near Marl farm, Llandudno Junction, Caernarvonshire, North Wales. All/the members of the crew, including F/Sgt. Clothier, lost their lives. An investigation into the accident found that the crash was caused by a structural failure of the aircraft wing specifically one of the ailerons detached from the wing in flight causing the the aircraft to go into a near vertical dive into the ground.
Accident Report 1
Accident Report 2
The airmen killed in the accident were
Flt. Sgt. Melville Owen Samuels
Flt. Sgt. Thomas Malcolm Clothier
P/O Charles Henry Melbourne
Flt. Lt. Jan Mikolaj Radecki
Sgt. Sylvester Kenneth Yates
F/Sgt. Clothier was buried with Service Honours at the
Regional Cemetery, Chester, Cheshire.
A memorial to the men killed in the accident has been erected near the crash site in Llandudno Junction
Thomas is remembered at the Auckland Hall of Memories in New Zealand
Credits
Deganwy history group
https://www.deganwyhistory.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Avro-Anson-Mk1-N5130-42-SLIDE.pdf