Clarke, Donald Mason

CLARKE, DONALD MASON P/O(N) J24711. From Irvine, Alberta. Killed Apr 22/43 age 22. One of 37 airmen lost at sea when the M.V. Amerika was torpedoed and sunk off Greenland by a German submarine. P/O(s) A.S. MacDonald, E.M. MacDonald, J.J. Martin, R.B. Clarke, LL Bradley, E.W. Bray, A.C. Clipsham, S.W. Dean, B.G. Fife, F.G. Gibson, C.A. Harding, H.H. Healy, A.H. Pearson, G.W. Pidduck, T.J. Ritchie, J.N. Rombough, W.A. Scott, W.O. Slack, J. Tyler, J.H. Warren, K.B. Woods, D.V. Jackson, R.S. Jardine, M. Johnson, F.B. Keys, T.W. Kidd, D.P. Lamont, J.E. Moore, A.J. Mosser, R.W. Masser, H.F. O'Connell, R.K. 01Hs, Flight Lieutenant E.B. Thompson, F/Os J.W. Boriirn, J.H. Hetherington, and R.S. McCloskey were also killed. The Amerika was 10,000 tons with a crew of 87 and 53 RCAF Officers on board. They were positioned near the end of the convoy and a storm was raging when they were sunk 12 miles south-east of Cape Farewell, Greenland. 16 RCAF Officers were rescued by a Corvette - H.M.S. Asphodel after spending 4 hours in a damaged lifeboat. They were taken ashore at Greenock, Scotland. Of the 16 survivors only one, Flying Officer A. Allen, was killed during the war. He was lost while on operations with 90 Squadron. Pilot Officer Navigator Clarke has no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario.