Birth Date: 1921-November-16
Born: Hawkestone, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada
Parents: Son of James William Clarke and Mary Wildmore Clarke, of Hawkestone, Ontario, Canada.
Spouse:
Home: Hawkestone, Ontario
Enlistment: Hamilton, Ontario
Enlistment Date: 1942-February-21
Service
RCAF
Unit
432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light
Base
RAF East Moor
Rank
Pilot Officer
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/89944
Prev: R/156733
Hawkestone, Ontario
Pilot Officer Clarke was BROTHER of Pilot Officer Edward Allan Clarke (RCAF) also a 432 Squadron pilot, who was missing, presumed killed in action 1944-07-29 in Halifax VII aircraft NP 702 QO-B during a raid on targets in Hamburg, Germany
The crew of Halifax III aircraft LW 614 QO-S were engaged in air to air firing training when it crashed at Deepdale Farm, Langdale End, North Yorkshire, England
Pilot Officer FC Hindmarsh (RCAF), Pilot Officer DG Bell (RCAF), Pilot Officer AK Clarke (RCAF), Pilot Officer TH Woodard (RCAF), Sergeant FE Cranch (RCAF), Sergeant H Halliwell (RAFVR) and passenger Leading Aircraftman DV MacKenzie (RCAF) were all killed in this flying accident
There was one surviving crew member, rear air gunner Sergeant DSM MacNeil (RCAF)
On 1944-04-12, Squadron Leader A. Ross Dawson, the Chief Technical Officer with 1664/1679 HCU at Wombleton, wrote in his diary:
Warning: The following material contains graphic content that may not be suitable for all readers.
"Got news of a crash a/c west of Pickering . . . located it at last, way up in the Moors and what a mess it was. I had a hard time trying to find out what kind of aircraft it was until I found an engine with a DH Hydromatic prop on it and then I knew it was a Halifax MkII, LW 614 -S, from East Moor we found out later. It was still burning when we got there. . . six recovered bodies, all Canadian boys. . .there was still another body in the wreckage but couldn't get it out since he was only in pieces anyway. I've got over being squeamish about such things but I still don't like the smell . . it is really & truly horrible."
Addendum: The crew were engaged in ground to air firing when one of the engines failed. The aircraft went out of control at 50 feet, stalled crashed and burst into flames. Detail provided by David E Thompson, Middlesborough, England
The Squadron was the twelfth RCAF bomber squadron to be formed overseas in WWII. It was formed on May 1, 1943 at Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, UK as a unit of No 6 (RCAF) Group of RAF Bomber Command: indeed, it was the first bomber squadron to be formed directly into No 6 Group. Using the squadron identification letters QO it flew Vickers Wellington Mk X medium bombers until it moved to East Moor, Yorkshire on 19th September 1943, when it re-equipped with Avro Lancaster Mk II aircraft. East Moor was part of No 62 (RCAF) Base. The squadron re-equipped with Handley Page Halifax Mk III aircraft in February 1944, and with Halifax Mk VII in July of that year, and continued with them until the squadron was disbanded at East Moor on May 15, 1945.
In the course of operations the squadron flew 246 missions, involving 3130 individual sorties, for the loss of 73 aircraft. 8980 tons of bombs were dropped. Awards to squadron members included 2 DSOs, 119 DFCs,1 Bar to DFC, 1 CGM, 20 DFMs and 1 Croix de Guerre (France). Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1943, Fortress Europe 1943-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1944, Ruhr 1943-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1943-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1943.Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin
Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)
The squadron was re-formed at Bagotville, Quebec as an All-Weather Fighter unit on 1 October 1954. The squadron flew Avro CF-100 Canuck aircraft on North American Air Defence until it was disbanded on 15 October 1961.
6 Halifaxes from 431 squadron were sent out on a sea search. All returned safely, but unsuccessful. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
The crew of Halifax III aircraft LW 614 QO-S were engaged in air to air firing training when it crashed at Deepdale Farm, Langdale End, North Yorkshire, England
Pilot Officer FC Hindmarsh (RCAF), Pilot Officer DG Bell (RCAF), Pilot Officer AK Clarke (RCAF), Pilot Officer TH Woodard (RCAF), Sergeant FE Cranch (RCAF), Sergeant H Halliwell (RAFVR) and passenger Leading Aircraftman DV MacKenzie (RCAF) were all killed in this flying accident
There was one surviving crew member, rear air gunner Sergeant DSM MacNeil (RCAF)
On 1944-04-12, Squadron Leader A. Ross Dawson, the Chief Technical Officer with 1664/1679 HCU at Wombleton, wrote in his diary:
Warning: The following material contains graphic content that may not be suitable for all readers.
"Got news of a crash a/c west of Pickering . . . located it at last, way up in the Moors and what a mess it was. I had a hard time trying to find out what kind of aircraft it was until I found an engine with a DH Hydromatic prop on it and then I knew it was a Halifax MkII, LW 614 -S, from East Moor we found out later. It was still burning when we got there. . . six recovered bodies, all Canadian boys. . .there was still another body in the wreckage but couldn't get it out since he was only in pieces anyway. I've got over being squeamish about such things but I still don't like the smell . . it is really & truly horrible."
Addendum: The crew were engaged in ground to air firing when one of the engines failed. The aircraft went out of control at 50 feet, stalled crashed and burst into flames. Detail provided by David E Thompson, Middlesborough, England
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
www.findagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)
Diary of A Ross Dawson, courtesy CWM