William Douglas Clark
Born 2 Oct 1909 - Died 1 Sept 1943
- Service number
- WWII NZ417265 AWMM
- WWII 417265 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- Flight Sergeant/Military AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 149 Squadron AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- William Douglas AWMM
- Surname
- Clark AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWII NZ417265 AWMM
- WWII 417265 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 2 Oct 1909 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
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- Next of kin
- WW2 Wife: Mrs. H. S. M. Clark, 99 North Street, Timaru AWMM
- WW2 Parents: Mr. & Mrs. H. J. Clark of Timaru AWMM
- Relationship status
- Married/WWII AWMM
- Unknown AWMM Married AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- Europe (Air) AWMM
- Europe (Air) AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Service number
- WWII NZ417265 AWMM
- WWII 417265 AWMM
- Military service
- British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, No. 1 Air Observer School, Malton, Ontario, Canada AWMM
Course 1: Graduation Date: 14/08/1942. AWMM - Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- Royal Air Force, No. 149 Squadron AWMM
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
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Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
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- Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Vessel was Athlone Castle AWMM Royal New Zealand Air Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Flight Sergeant/Military AWMM
Royal Air Force, No. 149 Squadron AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of Henry James Clark and Agnes Eveline Clark (nee Cochrane) of Timaru, Canterbury
Married to Helen Sarah May Clark, Timaru
Attended Timaru Boys' High School (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845608)) AWMM - William was born 2 Oct 1909 to parents Henry James and Agnes E Clark in Timaru. He attended Timaru Boys' High School and was involved in rugby, swimming, tennis and skiing. His working life was as an electrician and by 1930 has his own electrical contracting business.
He married Helen Sarah May Henderson on 21 December 1937.
He enlisted with RNZAF on 28 Dec 1941 and after initial training, left for further training in Canada in March 1942. After training and a promotion to Sergeant, he embarked for the UK and posted to firstly to Wigtown and then Westcott where he trained on Wellington bombers. He then moved to Waterbeach training on Stirlings and was then posted to 149 Squadron at Midenhall, Suffolk. With this squadron he carried out a number of operational flights as navigator over Germany as well as mine lying operations near Holland and France.
On the night of 31st August/1 September 1943, he was a member of the crew of a Stirling bomber that left Lakenheath along with 622 other aircraft with the target being Berlin, Germany. This was his 17th operational flight. Short Stirling III,Serial No EE879, OJ-G failed to return along with 46 other aircraft and he was reported as missing but later changed to killed in action. The Stirling reportedly crashed NNW of Ludwigsfelde.
Initial information state he was buried in the Cemetery for Soviet POWs, Ludwigsfeld but his final resting place is the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery.
The other NZ crew member was Roy Wolesley Lower, also from Timaru, both had in memorium entries in the Timaru Herald on the same day.
William is remembered on his parents grave in Timaru cemetery Row 140, Plot 541 which has been cleaned by the Remembrance Army and a poppy added.
His widow, Helen Sarah May remarried in 1947 to Ned Seymour Ivey (a returned serviceman) and went on to have three children who all remember William with respectPublic - Elizabeth - Researcher - 21 May 2025 - SC Genealogy Soc WW2 project
Remembrance Army Timaru
- Son of Henry James Clark and Agnes Eveline Clark (nee Cochrane) of Timaru, Canterbury
About death
- Death
- 1 Sept 1943 AWMM
Age 33 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Berlin, Germany AWMM 8 L 2 AWMM
- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
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Sources
- External links
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2079039
Sources Used - RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Bo - Cl. Archives New Zealand (R17845608)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845608
Sources Used - List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. Archives New Zealand (R17845747)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845747
Sources Used
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
- References
- Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
- This record is a work in progress and was partially compiled from the “Database of New Zealand Airmen who took part in Advanced Air Training in Canada during WW2”. Researched by Ivan and Lorna Lindsey of Tauranga. N.Z. 2003 – 2012. Reproduced with permission.
- RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Bo - Cl. Archives New Zealand (R17845608) - Former archives reference: AIR118
- List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. [Missing - But Presumed Dead on Lapse of Time - Officers, Airmen]. Archives New Zealand (R17845743)
- Please note that the 11 volumes of the "RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939-1945" held at Archives NZ (formerly known as AIR118) should be used in conjunction with Errol Martyn's "For Your Tomorrow". FYT reflects detailed examination of all of the AIR118 bios which contain many inaccuracies and omissions.
- List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. [List of Missing]. Archives New Zealand (R17845747)
- List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - Embarkation Lists, November 1940 - July 1942. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R17845762).
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