Clarence Darryl Farrington was born in 1917 in Canastota, New York. He was the son of Mrs. Luzerne Johnson. His basic training was in Enid, Okla., and he was later stationed at Victory Field, Vernon, Texas. He was a graduate of Canastota High School. Prior to entering the service he had been employed by the New Process Gear Corp. Syracuse. Lt. Farrington had received his pilot?s wings at the Twin Engine Bomber Training School in Pampa Texas In June 1943.

Farrington's plane, Shack Rabbits (42-38177) was shot down on a Berlin raid on March 6, 1944. The plane had been hit by flak and finally German fighters. Apparently the pilot was killed and the crew had to bail out quickly. As copilot, Clarence was to be the last to jump. Before he could get out the plane blew up. Five of the crew died and five others were taken prisoner.

Contact was made with one of the surviving crew (five out of the ten members) on Clarence Farrington?s B17 that day in 1944 over Germany. He said he knew Clarence very well. They were returning from Berlin when German fighters attacked them. They were approaching Holland at the time. The attack caused a raging internal fire and half the crew managed to bail out. They become POW's until the end of WW2. He said he wasn't sure if Clarence bailed out, as he jumped first. He said that he was alive when he left. He thought Clarence might have been wounded and could not bail out. Another survivor said he did see him jump, although Clarence may have been wounded. At any rate, the survivors did not see Clarence on the ground. A few years ago this crewmember returned to the crash site in Germany. He talked to the farmer who took him in before he was turned over to the German Army. The farmer said that one more American flier came down that day in a parachute but was dead. Perhaps that was Clarence.

Source of information: 388bg.com