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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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6 crest
14th September 1944 6 Squadron Hurricane IV LD233 F/O. Clarke

Operation: Store dump attack

Date: 14th September 1944 (Thursday)

Unit: No. 6 Squadron (motto: Oculi Exercitus - 'The eyes of the army'). 281 Wing. Balkan Air Force

Type: Hurricane IV

Serial: LD233

Code: -

Base: Canne, Italy but on détachement Vis, Croatia (Yugoslavia)

Location: Adriatic Sea

Pilot: F/O. Fred Marsden Clarke NZ/422370 RNZAF Age 22. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 06:50 hrs from Vis with 3 others, escorted by 2 Spitfires from 352 squadron to attack stores dump at Mureter and Tijesno, Yugoslavia (now Croatia).

They bombed the target and set packing cases on fire. LD233 failed to meet the others at the rendezvous point. The others searched for the pilot but failed to find him.

Burial and personal details:

F/O. Fred Marsden Clarke. Malta Memorial. Panel 16, Column 2. Born on the 20th November 1921 at Te Awamutu. Worked as a farmer on his fathers farm at Mangapiko prior to service. Served in the territorial army for 3 years. Enlisted on the 01st April 1942 at Rongota. Initial training at No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School. Embarked for Canada on the 24th December 1942. Further training at No. 6 Service Flying Training School, Dunnville, Ontario. Pilots badge and commissioned on the 28th May 1943.

Embarked for England on the 23rd June 1943. Joined 17 Pilot Advanced Flying Unit on the 24th August 1943. Embarked for Egypt on the on the 18th February 1944. Further training at No. 71 Operational Training Unit. Finally going 6 squadron on the 04th July 1944.

Son of Edward Alexander and Eileen Myrtle Clarke (née Findlay), of Mangapiko, Auckland, New Zealand. A total of 433 flying hours logged and on his 14 operational sortie.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 05-10-2021

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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