You searched for: “clark and 219 sqd”
# | Name (↑) | First Names | Rank | Service No. | Air Force | Country of Origin* (↑) | Squadrons | Awards | Aircraft (↑) | Victories | Fate in Battle | Fate After Battle | DateOfDeath | Notes | Photo |
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1 | Clark | William Terence Montague 'Terry' | Sgt (later Flt Lt) | 819004 (126026) | RAF AAF | British | 615 Sqd![]() 219 Sqd ![]() 488 Sqd RNZAF ![]() | DFM![]() Air Efficiency ![]() | Blenheim | 2020-05-07 Age 101 | Surviving aircrew. Beaufighter radar navigator. On his passing he left only one surviving Battle of Britain survivor. Born 11 April 1919 Croydon England was a British nightfighter navigator/radar operator in the Royal Air Force from 1938 to 1945. Clark enlisted in the Auxiliary Air Force in 1938 joining 615 Sqd at Kenley in March 1938 as an aircrafthand, then trained to be an aircraft gunner in Hawker Hectors on Army cooperation duties. He joined 219 Sqd then flying Bristol Blenheims at Catterick on 12 July 1940, later training on radar as a radio observer, flying in Bristol Beaufighters. On the night of 16/17 April 1941 Clark flew with the commanding officer of 219 Sqd, 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. DFM 8 July 1941. In July 1941 he was posted to 1455 Flight, then forming at Tangmere with Turbinlite Havocs. In May 1942 he went to 1451 Flight at Hunsdon on the same duties, locating enemy aircraft by radar in the Havoc, for accompanying fighters to attack and destroy. The scheme was not a success and was eventually abandoned. Commissioned as a Pilot Officer in May 1942, moved to 60 OTU in October 1942 as a Navigation/Radar Instructor. In May 1943 he was posted to 488 Sqd (NZ) at Ayr as Navigator to the newly-arrived 'A' Flight Commander, S/Ldr. DO Hobbis, his original pilot from 219 Squadron and 1455 and 1451 Flights. On 20th December 1943 Clark was flying with P/O D Robinson when they destroyed a Me410 over Sussex. At the end of his tour in March 1944 Clark went to North Weald Sector Operations, where he trained as a Controller. Whilst there he was given leave to visit 488, then at Colerne. He went to dispersal to see Robinson, now a Flying Officer. His navigator was unfit to fly and Clark offered to take his place. On this sortie, a beachead patrol on the night of 28th/29th July, they destroyed a Ju188. Clark returned to North Weald next day. He rejoined 488 in August 1944 but two months later went to RAF Honiley Ground Approach School, after which he took No. 1 GCA Unit to Prestwick, as second-in-command. Clark had reached the rank of Flight Lieutenant by the end of the war. 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. ![]() ![]() Signed book | ![]() ![]() |
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