LEST WE FORGET
Corporal Arthur John CLARKE
Service No: 7143
Born: Surrey England, 21 March 1907
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 November 1939 (at RAAF Station Pearce WA)
Unit: No. 9 Squadron, HMAS Sydney Detachment
Died: Naval Battle: Sea Lane Protection, Indian Ocean (off the WA Coast), 20 November 1941, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John and Charlotte Emma Clarke; husband of Dorothy Alberta Clarke. of Edithvale, Victoria.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: HMAS Sydney Memorial, Geraldton WA
Remembered: Panel 7, Sydney Memorial, Rookwood NSW
Remembered: Panel 99, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Remembered: Catalina Base Memorial, Rathmines NSW
Remembered: Rathmines Memorial Bowling Club, Rathmines NSW
Remembered: Returned and Services League HMAS SYDNEY II Virtual Memorial
The Seagull V (or alternatively Walrus) aircraft flown from the larger of HMA Ships during WWII were crewed and operated by Members of No. 9 Squadron RAAF. The compliment of HMAS Sydney included Walrus aircraft L 2177 and a detachment of 6 RAAF members at the time of the naval battle with the German raider HSK Kormoran on the evening of 19 November 1941. Along with their 636 RAN, RN and civilian comrades, all 6 RAAF Members were killed. Walrus L 2177 was also lost.
The members of the No. 9 Squadron detachment were:
Flying Officer Raymond Barker Barrey (407000) (Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman Arthur .John Clarke (7143)
Leading Aircraftman Richard Dodds (15452)
Corporal Roy Ebenezer Foster (9347)
Leading Aircraftman Keith Homard (35338)
Sergeant Sidney Marley (3967)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A703, 660/7/7143
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Gillett, R. (Ross) Wings Across the Sea: the first ever complete history of naval aviation from the first world war to the present, Aerospace Publications, 1988