Doug Clark poses for a photograph dressed in his flying suit, boots and gloves with his flying helmet in his right hand
It is believed Douglas Clark originally came from Yorkshire, England. At some stage in his life his parents moved to Basingstoke, Hampshire where he married and also joined the local Terrorial Royal Artillery unit.
At the outbreak of war Doug, Nobby as he was known to his friends, was posted with his unit to Southampton where they formed B Troop, 217 Battery, 72nd Regiment, Royal Artillery.
Equipped with the 3.7 inch Heavy Anti Aircraft gun they were constantly in action throughout the Battle of Britain and the early part of the war.
Doug applied for a transfer to the Royal Air Force as an air gunner and was accepted for training eventually being posted to 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit at Lindholme and then to 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds on the 27th August 1943.
Doug was mid upper gunner in the crew which consisted of :
Flying Officer J D Johnston RAF
Sergeant R Crossley RAF
Sergeant A H Stanton RAF
Flying Officer R H Kerr RCAF
Flying Officer R T Jones RAF
Sergeant D Clark RAF
Sergeant J B Reilly RAF
This crew undertook their first operation on the 30/31st August 1943 to Munchengladbach, successfully bombing the target from 19,500 feet and returning home. They undertook another 19 operations in the next 11 weeks, all to heavily defended Germany. All were completed successfully.
On the the night of the 23/24th November 1943 they took part in a raid on Berlin, their 21st operation. The Lancaster they were flying was JB 528. The wind at Elsham Wolds was very strong that night and 3 aircraft aborted but Flying Officer Johnston managed to take off. Somewhere near the target they were shot down, almost certainly by a night fighter. The Lancaster crashed at Grebs 16km WSW of Grabow. Sergeant Crossley, Sergeant Stanton, Flying Officer Kerr and Flying Officer Jones baled out and all became prisoners of war. Doug Clark and the rear gunner Sergeant Reilly were killed and buried at Grebs. After the war they were interred in the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery.
Flying Officer Johnston was also killed. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Doug Clark is fondly remembered by his old friends in the Royal Artillery as a fine young man and a good comrade. We are grateful to Ron Heilbron, who served with Doug in the army, for the information and photographs used in this item.
