Clifton, Basil
Basil James CLIFTON
RAAF, Squadron Leader
Number 260594
To his family and friends Basil Clifton, who has died at 84, was the epitome of calm. He was always a gentleman, a dapper figure with pipe and hat, which he always dipped to greet a lady. Being at the forefront of the automotive industry in the '50's and '60's, he drove a current model Buick, Chevrolet or Vauxhall. But he was a quiet, modest man.
Clifton was born in Chatswood, 1/4/08, while his father, Daniel was fighting in World War 1. On Daniel's discharge from the army, he and his wife Jean, returned to their home town of Barraba, in the north west of New South Wales.
Clifton's father had set up motor franchises throughout the north west of the State and his business played a major part in the life of the son, who drove his first car, a Chevrolet roadster, when he was 10. 'My mother was not impressed.' He recalled.
After school he would work in the garage and, as his father had set up the first picture show in Barraba, he sometimes played the pianola for the silent film screenings.
In 1931 Clifton was sent to board at St. Ignatius College, Riverview. Despite being particularly small, he made it into the 1st 15 Rugby team. He also became bantamweight boxing champion. (He took boxing up again during World War 11 and won the combined forces championship in Rhodesia and South Africa and the RAF Bantamweight title in Carlisle Scotland.)
While he was at school his family moved to Sydney and his father added the Royal Edkins General Motors dealership to his expanding business. Boyd Edkins renamed Boyded, had its own aircraft and pilot for visiting the north-west branches. It was flights to visit the branches which inspired Clifton to get his pilot's licence in 1938.
Clifton was in a Sydney cinema when the announcement that war had broken out appeared on the screen. Being 'terribly-enthusiastic with not much sense'. He signed up for the RAAF that day. He later said that, at the time, he thought the war 'would all be over in a year and it would be a tremendous opportunity to travel.'
The RAAF made a great fuss about Clifton's size, but finally deemed him worthy. He didn't let on that he already had a pilot's licence, as he didn't want to become an instructor.
After initial training camp he was shipped to Rhodesia for more intensive training. He then did a specialised navigation course in South Africa, flying Tiger Moths, then North American Harvards and Miles Masters.
By December 1941, Clifton had been seconded to the RAF and was teaching students to fly. He said that a whack over the knuckles with a wrench was often required for students who would freeze at the stick. He told this story as he was teaching one of his granddaughters to drive - fortunately I did not require such drastic measures.
In February 1942, he was recommended for the RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, base in England. Here he began to fly Spitfires, which 'suited me utterly. I loved flying them.'
His missions involved flying solo sorties over enemy territory. On one series he was photographing the coast of North Africa in order to make relief maps for the intended invasion. He would start at Gibraltar, fly down the Mediterranean to Malta and back to base.
On his 10th sortie he came to grief. On May 1, 1942, he was shot down while photographing German E boats in the harbour of Bizerta in Tunisia. He was 'heading like a brick towards the ground,' but managed to crash land in a field where he deliberately destroyed the aircraft, its two cameras and film. He headed up for the Mediterranean where he planned to steal a boat and make his way to Gibraltar or Malta, but he was picked up by an Italian patrol and handed over to the Vichy French who, at that time, were controlling the area.
He was interrogated and thrown into a civilian Jail in Tunis. He attempted an escape but failed. Eventually he was transferred to Laghouat, an oasis in the middle of the Sahara desert, where he spent seven months as a prisoner of war.
The prisoners slept in crammed barracks on concrete floors scattered with straw. The heat was horrendous, but they were given water only once a day and food was two tin plates of lentil soup. Clifton helped to dig a tunnel 30 metres long, but when it came time for the escape, the medical officer stopped him from going because he had a septic boil on his ankle.
Of the 29 men who escaped that night, 22 were caught in the first 24 hours. On the third day Arab soldiers and civilians brought in the remainder. The escapees suffered greatly in the Sahara and even worse at the hands of the Vichy French.
North Africa was liberated on November 4, 1942, by the Americans and British. Clifton was released on November 12 sent to Algiers and then to England. As he left the port the Vichy French were still sniping but the Americans had set up a PX on the beach selling ice-cream, nylons and cigarettes.
Clifton returned to his old squadron in England and flew another 30 sorties over France and Germany. On an occasion when he and his squadron were presented to the then Princess Elizabeth, she said that he looked far too young to be a pilot. He replied, 'May I go home then ma'am?'
In September 1943 Clifton by then a squadron leader, returned to Australia. On his 10 day leave pass he just had enough time to marry his fiancée, Shirley Meagher, before being posted to Darwin as an area photographic officer. He was then sent to Williamstown near Newcastle to train a squadron in aerial photography, before being discharged from the RAAF at the end of 1945 (1/9/45). During his time in the RAAF Clifton flew 1,492 hours in 13 different kinds of aircraft.
Clifton returned to Boyded Ltd, where he became managing director on the death of his father in 1955. After retirement he became president of the Royal Automobile Club of Australia (1983-1987) and later a life member and vice-patron of the club.
He considered his greatest achievement was 'just surviving the war'. 'I was shot at, I was shot down, I was mistreated, I was knocked from pillar to post. That was my greatest achievement, just staying alive.'
Clifton is survived by his wife Shirley, son Peter, daughter Sue, and five grand-children.
Automotive Industry manager
1917-2001
By Phillipa Yeo ((Phillipa Yeo is Basil Clifton's granddaughter)
Edited Paul Carter
