William Douglas Clark

I whānau mai i te 2 Oct 1909 - I mate atu i te 1 Sept 1943

Nama Hōia: WWII NZ417265 AWMM
WWII 417265 AWMM
Ingoa kārangaranga: —
Te Ope o Tū / te peka: Air Force AWMM
Te tūnga whakamutunga: Flight Sergeant/Military AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 149 Squadron AWMM
Pakanga: World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Mātātuhi

Lay a poppy

William Douglas Clark — Portrait, Weekly News - This image may be subject to copyright

Whakaatu mai ngā āpure e wātea ana Hunaia ngā mātāwai kōrero

Kōrero taurongo

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 respect
Public - Elizabeth - Researcher - 21 May 2025 - SC Genealogy Soc WW2 project
Remembrance Army Timaru

Ngā mātāwai

Hononga ki waho: 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
Ngā tuhinga: 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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William Douglas Clark

William Douglas Clark

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