Clifford Biggerstaff was born in 1921 in South Carolina, a son of Charlie Manley and Ellie Lucy (Fisher) Biggerstaff. His father died sometime between 1920 and 1930. Clifford had the following siblings: Albert, Earl, Champ Clark, Jerry Walter, Woodrow, Millie A., Frank, Justice, and Nettie M.

Prior to entering the army, Clifford worked in Clifton Mill. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps 12 September 1942 at Ft. Jackson, Columbia, S.C. At the time of his death, Clifford had been in the army for two years, receiving training at Clearwater, Fla.; Gowen Field, Idaho; March Field, Calif., and Wendover Field, Utah.

The plane on which he was a gunner (B24J Liberator; Tail #44-40603) departed Wakde Island, Indonesia, en route to a mission on Koror and was shot down by Japanese anti-aircraft fire 28 August 1944 over the Palau Islands in the Southwest Pacific. According to eyewitness reports, about halfway down the bombing run, a fire broke out at the root of the right wing. It burned brightly and went into a normal glide, still under control. Then there was a big flash and a large sheet of flame enveloped the whole plane. The right wing collapsed and the plane fell out of control. It floated to the earth with bits of flaming debris falling on the way down. The plane crashed in a built up area of the east end of Koror Town. One crew member was thrown clear of the plane as it started down but no parachute opened. The pilot of this plane was William G. Dixon who was also from Spartanburg. He is listed elsewhere in this book.

All eleven crew members were lost. Remains were recovered after the war and examined with extensive efforts for identification. However, due to circumstances of the crash and the commingling of remains, individual identification and segregation of remains was impossible. All remains were returned to the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Ky., for interment on 23 January 1951.

A documentary was made in 2009 called “Last Flight Home”. It is about Pacific Wrecks during World War II. This plane is featured in the last half of the film.