LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John Yorke CLARKE
Service No: 415119
Born: Bunbury WA, 13 June 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 July 1941
Unit: No. 158 Squadron (RAF), RAF Lissett, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 158 Squadron Halifax aircraft JD298), Germany, 28 August 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Raymond Arthur and Marjorie Cecil Clarke, of Roelands, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Bunbury WA
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Brother of Flight Lieutenant Robert Mayo Clarke DFC (427249)
Halifax JD298 took off from RAF Lissett at 2100 hours on the night of 27/28th August 1943, detailed to bomb Nurnberg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft when outbound was believed to have been shot down by a night fighter and crashed near Marscherwald, 12 kms south west of Echternach, Luxembourg.
The crew members of JD298 were:
Sergeant E W Brearley (1035032) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner) Evaded Capture
Flying Officer John Yorke Clarke (415119) (Pilot)
Sergeant H J Dixon (1320215) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) Evaded Capture
Sergeant C H Hirst (1493738) (RAFVR) (Mid Gunner) Evaded Capture
Sergeant George Rippingale (1379717) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant H M Robinson (1381423) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Sergeant John Thomas (1313122) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/7/176