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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

Pte. Baden Clarke .     British Army 5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters   from Chesterfield

(d.7th February 1945)




3rd Radio Off. Brian Roy Clarke .     Merchant Navy SS Sithonia   from Preston

Brian Clarke was third radio officer on the SS Sithonia, which was torpedoed in the mid-Atlantic on 13th of July 1942 by a German submarine U-201, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Adalbert Schnee. Most of the crew survived in two lifeboats. Brian’s lifeboat arrived in Africa two weeks later, where eventually they were taken prisoner by Vichy French authorities and sent to a POW camp near Dakar. At the end of the war, they were released and repatriated. Details of his story and survival and imprisonment were brought to public attention through his recordings (titled ‘Adrift’) on tape and CD, which are available at the Imperial War Museum. Also, the book ‘Making Shore’ was basically Brian’s true story, although it had some embellishments of a romantic nature.




C Clarke .    




Charles Clarke .     Army

Whilst looking through some of my Grandmother's old letters I found a 10 page letter from my uncle Charles Clarke which he sent at the end of the war, when he was serving with the British Army in Germany, and on the small envelope she marked MY MASTERPIECE. I copied it out as I thought it was so well written although some of the grammar is not that good. Anyway I copied it out exactly as he had written it, and thought it very interesting. I attach a copy and hope it will be of interest to you, obviously the original is very fragile and on very thin paper.

Tuesday on board ship

Dear Mom

I am writing this on board while waiting for the other troops to arrive. I told you in my other letter that 24 of us had to do escort, well 500 POW coming on board shortly and they are being repatriated to Germany they are billeted below decks in the foremost part of the ship.

The ship is called the Empire Cutlass and it looks quite a good tub has been repainted. We have to do guards on the ship the 24 of us 2 hours on 6 hours off. We have officer’s bunks and cabins the other blokes on the draft have to sleep below decks and civvies. It is warm in here and is sat in a big armchair writing this. My bunk has a clean white pillow and its lovely and clean in here, polished red floor.

They have the wireless on the loud speakers are playing dance music. The officer said that we shant have any trouble with the jerries, but we have to keep them below decks and our blokes from mixing with them. When I go on guard I have to wear my life belt and carry a rifle and bayonet.

I do my first 2 hours as soon as they come above and while they are on boat drill. There shouldn’t be much to do as we are only on the water 24 hours. A boat has just pulled in from Cookshaven with British troops on leave. The sea looks calm enough and an old sailor says we should have a good voyage. We have three Sgts in the cabin, ten of us altogether.

Have been on top deck and had a look around. When you are in here you cannot imagine you are on a ship until you look up and see the porthole. Tell Tom I am on the starboard side, I know that because it says so on the notice. We are having the toilet change from officers to us we have civvies on board they are in with the troops. Our blokes can’t come on board until the P.O.W.’s are on, they are late already.

Had my dinner on board and it was a treat had prunes for pudding. We also get an extra meal and tea through the night on this guard. I am with 4 of the blokes from Farnborough. Shall write to Ken as soon as I get a chance perhaps tomorrow. Well the blokes coming from Germany are loaded with cases and stuff so I reckon there must have been a bit of swapping and changing going on. Shall be glad when we get under weigh now and get there, then I shall get a bit settled for 6 months I hope. I haven’t got my cigs out of my pack yet, as a bloke has lent me 20 until I can get to them.

Well I am about ready for my tea, but how long I shall keep it is according to the weather.

I have just done my guard duty we have the jerries aboard, they have them doing fire duty and boat drill right now. We have left England now. The boat is going smooth right now, hope it lasts. The jerries are right above our heads walking about. Roll on the time when I am coming back and instead of looking for Cookhaven I am looking for Hull.

They are giving orders to the Germans over the loudspeakers in German. I see we have a number of women aboard I wonder where they are too. Have just had my tea some of the blokes are serving up the grub in the galley so I had a good helping of peas and meat Bread butter and jam its pure white and it tastes a treat. Well I am going to have a lie down now and try to get some sleep, but I expect I shall be on guard again soon. I have been on this crate since 11 am this morning and we didn’t sail until 6pm. I will write some more to this as soon as I get a chance we have a lav for escort only with hot water and shower it was the officers but had a notice put up to say Escort only. Cheerio a bit.

Well here I am it is about 10.30 am on Wednesday morning and I am lying in my berth writing this. Did a guard this morning 3.30am till 5.30 on the deck and it was damned cold, you should have seen me with my balaclava on and life belt on. I came in and had a good sleep I am on again at 3.30pm we are supposed to arrive in Cookshaven about 6pm.

Have just had tea and biscuits and for supper last night we had a chop and potatoes and breakfast fish “haddock” potatoes bread butter and jam. I had a ration last night 20 cigs and one bar of chocolate a pkt of biscuits and a can of beer it came to 1/10 the lot all duty free you see. I had one of the Sgt ration an all but only had one lot of beer. Wonder how far we are inland when we get there. I was talking to one of the gerries and he told me he was shot down over Britain in 1942 so I wondered if he had bombed Brum. If I thought he did, I should have kept him below decks all the while I was on. Talk about old men some of them are grey and bald. They seem happy at going home anyway.

Well I think it is about time I had a wash and shave I have not been SICK up to yet but I am not going to speak to soon.

I have just had my dinner; we had beef, potatoes, cabbage and RICE PUDDING.

Wish I could send you some of this bread; its lovely the crust is crisp. They give you a little card when you come aboard mine has number 1 on it so I am first in the queue every time, so I get mine before it gets cold. We are having a very calm trip up to now. I think we shall be a bit late getting in. By the time I have finished this it will be about 10 pages and you will have sailed across the North Sea.

The sea is blue and I think the sun is going to shine and I hope this wind drops, it is, but it makes your face a little sore and your lips dry. Have just had some orange and it went down a treat. I shall post this as soon as I get in. Don’t throw this letter away I should like to keep it, as it is my first trip at sea. My feet where lovely and warm while I was I bed, you see I have a radiator right at my side. The prisoners are taking a stroll around the deck foremost of the ship they have been polishing their boots and getting spick and span for their return home. I bet someone is happy somewhere waiting for their return. They have come from all over the place some from the USA and some from Canada so they must have had quite a trip. They are just about to have their dinner and the German interpreter has been called to get them down, so I expect we shall be going out on duty again in a very few minutes. We may get some more cigs before we disembark I have just asked the Sgt if we have British stamps over here and he says we don’t have any stamps at all, so that’s one thing I will have to get. There are light ships all along the route with lights all over them to mark the route.

I am glad I had this job because you get better accommodation the other blokes are in 5 tier bunks they are only sack bagging stretched across a frame. They spend more time on the deck than they do in their beds. It has just been announced that we have high tea at 4 o clock.

Have arrived in Germany and am in a big building like a hotel, am moving out in the morning. Have changed my money and am about to have my supper. Was not seasick at all.

Well Mom this is all for now Cheerio All of the Best All my Love

Charles

Ps Will write again as soon as I can. Write Soon




Pte. Dennis Frank Clarke .     British Army 2nd Btn. Welsh Regiment   from Redditch, Worcestershire

(d.29th December 1944)

Dennis Clarke served in the Welsh Regiment in Burma and was killed on 29th of December 1944. He is buried in the Taukkyan War Cemetery in Myanmar (Burma). He was 21 years of age.




L/Cpl. Edward Arthur "Nobby" Clarke .     British Army 8th Army   from London




Cpl. Edward Arthur Clarke .     British Army 5th Btn. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders   from Maidenhead

(d.19th April 1945)

Edward Clarke was my Grandfather. Sadly, I never had the chance to meet him, but he must have been an amazing man to have fought for so many years and to have got so close to coming home. I would like to know more about him.




Gnr. Edward Clarke .     British Army 35th L.A.A. Regiment, 78th Battery Royal Artillery (d.15th Sep 1945)

Edward Clarke is my paternal grandfather. He died after three and a half years as a Prisoner of War. He is buried in Jakarta. Sadly, I do not believe that I will ever get to visit his last resting place.




Stokr. Eric Clarke .     Royal Navy HMS Thrasher   from Manchester

Eric Clarke was my father. He had kept records of his RN Service, which show he joined the RN on 24th of February 1943. He spent his first few months in training at various shore establishments until 17th of September 1943 when he joined the supply ship HMS Cyclops. He was promoted to Stoker1 on 24th February 1944. On 19th June 1944 he joined the submarine depot ship HMS Forth for service on T Class submarine Thrasher On 14th of Oct 1944 he joined the submarine depot ship HMS Wolfe ( still serving on HMS Thrasher) On 10th Mar 1945 Eric was promoted to A/L Stoker (T1) (M). 30th Aug 1945 Eric completed his submarine service and moved to shore base Dolphin at Gosport. Eric completed his RN service on 30th Nov 1946.




Ernest "Ernie" Clarke .     British Army Royal Observer Corps   from Whitby

Royal Observer Corps at Whitby Abbey

An old photo has emerged showing my granddad, Ernest Clarke, and his brother Harry Clarke in the Royal Observer Corps in World War II. It was taken in Whitby North Yorkshire, at Whitby Abbey.




F Clarke .     British Army Royal Armoured Corps

F Clarke served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.




Pte. Firth Clarke .     British Army West Yorkshire Regiment   from Brighouse, Yorkshire

Pte. Firth Clarke was captured early in the war and held prisoner through to the end. He was held in Stalag XXB. He rarely spoke of his time there, but on occasions told of stealing sugar hidden in a drum after a concert and getting German guards to help lift it as it was too heavy, of having shrapnel removed from his leg/ankle by German doctors, of walking home through Poland and refusing to remove his boots in case he was never able to get them back on. He was fond of boxing and gambling.

This second picture is of Firth at Stalag XXb (he did spend a short while in XXA before being moved to XXB)

Firth after the war (sadly he died in 1960) – he had had time to recover from the weight loss caused by walking home through Poland, so I guess the picture is about 1947/8?

If anyone recognises him, I would love to get in touch and find out more.




PO.Stoker. Frederick Charles Clarke .     Royal Navy HMS Galatea   from West Bromwich

(d.15th Dec 1941)

Born and raised in Spon Lane, Acting Stoker P.O. Frederick Charles Clarke was believed to be the only local man on board HMS Galatea. The Roll of Honour as published in The Times newspaper on February 12th 1942 records him as Missing Presumed Killed Clarke F.C. A/STO P.O. (Ty) Lives lost: 22 Officers, 394 R.N. Ratings, 50 Royal Marines and 4 N.A.F.F.I. (total 470).

After the First World War an appropriate way was needed to commemorate members of the Royal Navy who had lost their lives but had no known grave. As most men died at sea and a permanent memorial had to be sited on land, the three manning ports in Great Britain (Chatham, Plymouth and Portsmouth) were selected. After WW2 the memorials were extended to include the naval dead of this war also and it is here that Frederick Charles Clarke is commemorated.




Dvr. Frederick Montague "Nobby" Clarke .     British Army 3/4th Battalion County of London Yeomanry   from Enfield

My father was a desert rat, and was a lorry driver with 22nd aArmoured Division during the war. He told us an amusing story of how he had acquired some Italian army boots in Italy. Whilst driving his foot slipped off the brake pedal and he collided with the lorry in front of him. It was only a minor collision and the sergeant had a brief chat with my dad, and said "what happened Nobby?" My dad explained about the boots and the sergeant seemed ok with it. Dad heard no more about it until years later when we requested his records and he was annoyed to learn that the Army had fined him a week's pay over the incident.




George Clarke .     Royal Navy HMS Bedouin

My dad served as a cook on HMS Bedouin prior to her being sunk. Fortunately, he was in Iceland at the time of her sinking.




Pte. George Thomas Clarke .     British Army 2nd Btn. Northamptonshire Regiment   from Redditch, Worcestershire

(d.10th May 1940)

George Clarke would have been my uncle had he lived. My mother told me that he was only 19 years old when he was killed. I feel such great sadness that I never met him.

CWGC has his date of death between 10th May 1940 and 24th September 1940.




George Henry "Knobby" Clarke .     Brutish Army 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment   from Worcester




Sergeant H Clarke .     RAF 35 Squadron

My grandfather was a pilot in 35 Squadron: Robert Thomas Morris, born September 1912. He died as a 'tail-end-Charlie' on 1 August 1942. He was a RAF Volunteer Reserve from Eccleshall, and his grave in marked in Flushing, Netherlands. He was a member of the crew flying in Halifax II, W1100, TL-G of 35 Squadron at RAF Linton-on-Ouse.

They were on a raid to Dusseldorf and were hit by flak over the target but managed to get as far as Holland before crashing near Serooskerke (Zeeland), on Schouwen. Two of the crew, my grandfather and Sgt B S Braybrook RAAF, were killed and the rest were taken prisoner.

Does anyone have any information, and even a picture of him?

The full crew was

  • Sgt Bertram Stanley Braybrook RAAF 403470. KIA, age 22 (Vlissingen Northern Cemetery)
  • Sgt R.T. Morris, RAF VR 1230755. KIA, age 29 (Vlissingen Northern Cemetery)
  • P/O R. Casey was interned in Camps 8B/344/L3. POW No.25114 with
  • P/O C.C. Spencer, POW No.25120.
  • Sgt H. Clarke in Camps 8B/344, POW No.25118 with
  • Sgt W.A. Elliott, POW No.25116 and
  • Sgt C.A.C. Pithers, POW No.25117.




  • Cpl. Harold Arthur Clarke .     North Caribbean Force British Honduras Btn.   from Jamaica

    (d.23rd Sep 1946)

    Cpl. Clarke was the son of the late Leopold Erasmus Clarke and Lillian Beatrice Clarke, of Jamaica. He was 27 when he died and is buried in the Belize City Cemetery in Belize.




    Sgt. Henry James Clarke .     Royal Air Force Navigator 10 Squadron   from Westminster, London

    (d.15th Feb 1944)

    Harry was a navigator for bombing raids. He joined the RAF after lying about his age. He pretended to be 7 years older than he actually was. One day after he had finished all his missions he came across a friend of his who was ill and had to do a mission. He took on his friend's mission and it was on this mission that he was shot down and killed. He died at the age of 24.




    Henry William Clarke .     British Army Royal Army Medical Corps   from Harvest Road, Smethwick

    My grandfather Henry Clarke was in the Royal Army Medical Corps. I know he signed up in Birmingham. I wondered if anyone had any information?




    I Clarke .     British Army

    I Clarke served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

    Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.




    Cpl. James John Murray "Nobby" Clarke .     British Army 8th Btn. Durham Light Infantry   from Washington, County Durham




    Jim Clarke .     Royal Air Force 295 Sqdn.

    My father, Jim Clarke, served with 295 Squadron from 1943 through to just before VE day, when he was finally screened from operations. He flew as a tail gunner for A. G. Smith (pilot), D. Upton (navigator) and A. Savage.




    Pte. John Clarke .     British Army Royal Horse Artillery   from Walsall

    My dad Jack Clarke, was in the Royal Horse Artillery fighting rearguard near Dunkirk when he was captured and spent the next six years as a POW in Stalag 8. I would love to find out more about his time in the camp so I could understand more of what it was like for the POW's living through their ordeal but he was a proud man and would never talk about it.

    If there is anyone who could tell me more about his regiment and the camps I would be more than grateful.




    Flt.Sgt. John Charles Everett Clarke .     Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 29 Squadron (d.21st June 1943)

    John Clarke was the son of Major Joseph Clarke,DSO MC TD Royal Engineers and Lucy Ann (nee Driver) of Bow, London. He was born at Chesterfield, Derbyshire on 30th of October 1923 and is buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery, near Pirbright, Essex. On 21st June 1943 his Mosquito night-fighter was badly damaged and he had to ditch into the sea and he and his navigator were killed. However their bodies were recovered.




    Joseph Clarke .     Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm 808 Sqdn

    My dad served on many escort carriers during WW2, including HMS Hunter, HMS Khedive, HMS Battler and others, with 808 Squadron. I was wondering if any of his old shipmates or their family members have any stories or remember him.




    Pte. Leslie George "Nobby" Clarke .     British Army Royal Signals   from Warwick

    Leslie Clarke Signed up for the Royal Army Service Corp on the 11th March 1942. He then transferred to the Royal Signals on the 1st July 1942 until the 15th September 1946. He was a Driver in the Royal Signals and was in Sicily. He was promoted to Corporal, but only for one night. I can't remember why it was taken away.




    Flt.Lt Lindsey James Clarke DFC..     Royal Australian Air Force 142 Squadron




    Wren Margaret Marion Clarke .     Women's Royal Naval Service HMS Caroline   from Waterford

    (d.28th Jan 1941)

    Wren Margaret Clarke was the daughter of Lieut. Comdr. Joseph H. Clarke, R.N.V.R. and Mary W. Clarke, of Waterford. She was 18 when she died and is buried in the Ballinakill Church of Ireland Churchyard, Ballinakill, Co. Waterford, Ireland.





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