LEST WE FORGET
Aircraftman Class I Leslie Frank Albert CLARKE
Service No: 151319
Born: Mackay QLD, 26 January 1926
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1944
Unit: No. 457 Squadron
Died: Injuries from Ground Operations: Labuan, 23 June 1945, Aged 19 Years
Buried: Labuan War Cemetery, Malaysia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Henry Albert and Antonia Mary Louisa Clarke, of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At approximately 1210 hours on 23 June 1945, Aircraftman Class I Clarke, an Armourer, was struck by a stray round from an Australian Bren gun fired during an AIF patrol against the enemy.
He was admitted to No. 22 Medical Clearing Station on Labuan Island, Borneo, and died at 1700 hours that day. He had been standing at a tea bin alongside a water tank parked in the mess section. After a burst of gun fire in the distance, the airman turned and walked approximately 30 feet and asked the NCO in charge of the Mess section to do something for him and then collapsed. On investigation it was found that a bullet had entered the right side of his abdomen and passed out the left side.
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/7/1043