Charles Clarke

Air Commodore Charles Henry Clarke, (25 November 1923 – 7 May 2019) was a British Royal Air Force officer. Having served in Bomber Command in the Second World War, he was shot down and interned at Stalag Luft III—this was The Great Escape camp and he acted as a watcher but was not involved in the escape itself. He remained in the RAF after the war, commanded RAF Stafford, served in Palestine, Aden and Malta, before retiring in 1978. He later campaigned for a memorial to Bomber Command: one was finally erected in 2012 in London.

Early life and education Clarke was born on 25 November 1923 in the Old Street area of Tottenham, London, England. Serving in the other ranks, he rose to leading aircraftman. He was posted to No. 619 Squadron, where he served as a bomb aimer on the squadron's Lancasters. He completed 18 missions before being shot down on his 19th. He was captured by the Germans, and eventually taken to Stalag Luft III: he arrived at the prisoner of war camp weeks before The Great Escape of 24/25 March 1944. He was liberated by British forces in April 1945. He was promoted to flight lieutenant on 25 February 1948. He was granted a permanent commission on 1 April 1952, thereby allowing him to serve in the RAF until retirement. As part of the half-yearly promotions, he was promoted to squadron leader on 1 January 1953, to wing commander on 1 July 1961, and to group captain on 1 January 1967.

In addition to his Second World War service, he undertook a number of overseas postings. He served in Palestine during the 1947–1949 Palestine war, in Aden during the Aden Emergency and the British withdrawal in 1967, and in Malta. He also had desk jobs at the Ministry of Aircraft Production, the Air Ministry, and at the Ministry of Defence.

In the 2007 New Year Honours, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "For services to the Royal Air Forces Ex-Prisoners of War Association".

Personal life Clarke met his wife, Eileen (née Fosh), at a war-time dance. They married in November 1946, following his return from the war. Together they had a daughter, Naida: she is a former merchant banker who married Sir Gordon Duff.

Clarke died on 7 May 2019, aged 95.