WWII group of four, 1939-1945 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, De...

Hammer

£1,200

WWII group of four, 1939-1945 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, Defence Medal, War Medal, Caterpillar Club gold Caterpillar Club lapel pin inscribed F/Lt N. A. Clark and three Royal Air Force Pilot's Flying Log Books of Flight Lieutenant N A W Clark, including certificates of qualifications, first pilot, 1942-1957

Sold with two typescript accounts by Flight Lieutenant Norman Alfred Wadham Clark on his being shot down on the night of Friday March 24th, 1944, his reception by Dutch citizens (who turned him over to the police) and his life as a prisoner of war.

With a full crew Flight Lieutenant 'Knobby' Clarke, aged 27 of 625 Squadron RAF Kelstern, piloted Lancaster ME684 on what was to be the final major raid by Bomber Command on Berlin, on the 24 / 25 March 1944.

Particularly high winds on that night proved a severe additional hazard. Many of the Lancasters were 'coned' by German search lights and came under fire both from the ground and night fighters. 72 aircraft, including Clark's, failed to return.

Blown off course and faced with the option of returning into the bomb stream, Clark released his bomb load over a German airfield. On the return the aircraft was heavily damaged by flak when over Varseveld. At 00:47 hours Clark gave the order to his crew of six to jump: "I sat still at the controls; I thought and tried to make one final attempt to control the engines and take it home alone. I felt very lonely having lost my crew and great pals. I flew her around a few more times, turned the nose towards Germany (hoping it would set fire to something useful) and climbed out of the seat. She went into a dive. I hastily pulled her out, reset the rimmer controls and bailed out of the nose...".

All seven RAF men survived, three of whom evaded capture. 

For a detailed account of the incident, including the recollections of another of the crew that night Air Gunner Sergeant John Munroe, read here: http://aircrewremembered.com/clark-norman-arthur-wadham.html