William Clark
Birth nameWilliam Terence Montague Clark
Nickname(s)"Terry"
Born(1919-04-11)11 April 1919
Croydon, Surrey, England
Died7 May 2020(2020-05-07) (aged 101)
York, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1938–1945
RankFlight lieutenant
Service number819004, later 126026
UnitNo. 219 Squadron RAF
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsDistinguished Flying Medal
Air Efficiency Award

William Terence Montague Clark, DFM, AE (11 April 1919 – 7 May 2020) was a British nightfighter navigator/radar operator in the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1938 to 1945. He, along with John Hemingway, was one of the last two verified surviving aircrew of the Battle of Britain.[1][2][3]

Clark enlisted in the Auxiliary Air Force in 1938 joining No. 615 Squadron at Kenley in March 1938 as an aircrafthand, then trained to be an aircraft gunner in Hawker Hectors on Army cooperation duties.[3]

He joined No. 219 Squadron, then flying Bristol Blenheims,[4] at Catterick on 12 July 1940, later training on radar as a radio observer, flying in Bristol Beaufighters.[3]

On the night of 16/17 April 1941 Clark flew with the commanding officer of 219 Squadron, Wing Commander T.G. Pike, when Pike's own navigator was taken ill. They intercepted and destroyed a Junkers 88 and a Heinkel He 111 in the Guildford area.

During the night of 27/28 April 1941, flying with Flying Officer D.O. Hobbis, his regular pilot, Clark assisted in the destruction of an unidentified enemy aircraft, on each of 1/2 June and 13/14 June 1941 they shot down a Heinkel He 111.

Clark was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, which was gazetted on 8 July 1941.[5] Commissioned as a Pilot Officer in May 1942, Clark had reached the rank of Flight Lieutenant by the end of the war.[6][7] Post war Clark joined the reconstituted Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) in 1949 serving in the Fighter and Aircraft Control Branches before resigning his commission in 1954.[8][9]

Clark died on 7 May 2020 at the age of 101, leaving John Hemingway as the last surviving member of The Few.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "One of the last surviving pilots of 'The Few' who fought during Battle of Britain dies, aged 101". The Independent. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "Sgt. W T Clark". Battle of Britain London Monument. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Battle of Britain veteran Terry Clark dies aged 101". BBC News. 8 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  4. ↑ Jefford MBE, Wg Cdr C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. p. 72. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  5. ↑ "No. 35213". The London Gazette. 8 July 1941. p. 3925.
  6. ↑ "No. 35654". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 July 1942. p. 3412.
  7. ↑ "No. 36554". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 June 1944. p. 2749.
  8. ↑ "No. 38833". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 February 1950. p. 659.
  9. ↑ "No. 40335". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 December 1954. p. 7221.
  10. ↑ "Flight Lieutenant William Terence Clark DFM (11th April 1919-7th May 2020)". Kenley Revival. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
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