Charles Clarke was the son of John William Clarke and Lilian Emily May Clarke (nee Martin). His father was from New Zealand, his mother from England.

He attended Portland Primary School, near Whangarei and passed the proficiency exam before leaving to work for Wilson Portland Cement Company in Portland.

Prior to serving with the Air Force he had served approximately eight months in the New Zealand Army, 1 Divisional Signals. He was 18 when he entered the Army and was described as 5 ft 91/2 inches tall with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.

He enlisted with the Royal New Zealand Air Force in August 1943 and served until discharged on 3 January 1946 at the end of the war. The types of aircraft he flew on included Harvard, Norseman and Bolingbroke. In total he flew 42.30 hours flying time.

When in the Air Force he also passed the Wireless Operator - Airgunner service course

Whilst serving with the Air Force: Overseas service : 14 April 1944 to 23 October 1945

Service in NZ : 26 Aug 1943 to 13 Apr 1944 and 24 October 1945 to 9 September 1945

Six men who had been at school together in Portland, Whangarei joined the air force and trained in Canada. Charles Frederick Clarke (630828 NZ4310553), one of two surviving members of this group, attended a Portland Primary School reunion in November 1998 and researched details of this group with the intention of contributing a brick for the new memorial being constructed at Winnipeg in Canada to commemorate those who trained in Canada during World War 2. The name, date of birth, place of origin and date of death was to be inscribed on each brick. The Royal New Zealand Air Force crew members that Charles Frederick Clarke (630828 NZ4310553) is commemorating in this way are: Aubrey John Clarke (NZ429177) his brother; D'Arcy Clive Melville Ducker (NZ411749), Desmond Charles Holland (NZ427478), Douglas Jack McLean (NZ414654) and Raymond Anthony Lindsay (NZ392047). AWMM