Maurice Clark was born sometime around 1916, the son of George Church and Anne Isabel Church of 114 North Vidal Street, Sarnia and a sibling to two sisters and a younger brother. Maurice was born in the prairies and educated in Regina, but after Maurice went overseas, his parents moved to Sarnia. In July of 1941, Maurice enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He graduated at Mossbank, Saskatchewan on February 28, 1942, before going overseas in May of 1942. He would become a member of RCAF #408 Goose squadron “For Freedom”, attaining the rank of Warrant Officer Class II Navigator.
Maurice was last heard from on March 31, 1943, when he volunteered to take the place of another navigator on a bombing expedition. On April 3, 1943, Maurice was part of a crew aboard Halifax aircraft JB866 that went missing in action from a night trip to Essen, Germany. George and Anne Church in Sarnia would initially receive word from German sources that their son Maurice had been killed in action. R.C.A.F. headquarters were more cautious, reporting him as, missing after air operations. In September of 1943, Maurice Gordon Church’s name would appear on the air force casualty list, officially recorded as, previously reported missing in action overseas, now for official purposes is presumed dead. Perishing with Warrant Officer II-Navigator Maurice Church were P/O.s E.A. Sirett and G.A. Fletcher; F/O. J.D. McBride; and Sgt.s G.D. Boyer, F.R. Burke, and K.O. Brice (RAF). Twenty-seven year old Maurice Church is buried in Uden War Cemetery, Netherlands, Grave 4.G.13.
Maurice had a younger brother, James Mayson Church, born on March 7, 1919. James Mayson was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, 156 (R.A.F.) Squadron with the rank of Flight-Sergeant/Air Gunner. Just three months after Maurice’s death, his brother James, would also lose his life during fighting. On July 30, 1943 at the age of 25, James Mayson Church was killed in action and is buried in Hamburg Cemetery, Germany Grave 5A.J.15.
SOURCES: C, D, E, F, L, M, N, 2C