This site contains the work of grade 10 Canadian History students of Glebe Collegiate who have researched one of our former Glebe students who served in World War II and who fell in the line of duty. The site is constantly under construction and we welcome corrections, suggestions and contributions.

If you are a relative or a researcher and have more information/expertise to share with us, please contact me by requesting access to the site.

Robert William Clarke

Brief history:

     Robert William Clarke was born on February 15, 1922. Robert was the son of Noel Thomas Clarke, and Winifred Annie Clarke. He was born in Ottawa, Ontario. Robert William Clarke was 5 feet and 10 inches tall, and weighed 154 pounds. He had blue eyes, brown hair and had a fair development. Robert William Clarke was not married. He worked as a bellboy. A bellboy is someone who works at a hotel, and helps patrons with their luggage while checking in or out. Robert worked at his fathers hotel. Robert  Clarke went Hopewell Ave primary school from 1927 - 1934. Then for high school, he attended Glebe Collegiate Institute from Sept 1934 - Dec 1936, then Port Arthur Collegiate Institute (located in Thunder Bay, Ontario) from Jan 1937 - Dec 1939, then Riverdale Collegiate Institute (Toronto) from Jan 1940 - Mar 1940, then back to Glebe C.I from March 1940 - June 1941. Robert William Clarke played many different activities. He liked playing hockey, football, basketball, gymnastics, swimming, track and field, and he also enjoyed music and playing the trumpet. Robert William Clarke was enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force on April 25, 1941. He was only 19 years of age when he enlisted in the RCAF.

Service Record

         This squadron was formed in Toronto on October 5 1932.

Squadron 400 Badge. The badge of 400 Eagle Squadron depicts two tomahawks in saltire on an eagle's head erased. The eagle's head indicates the squadron's role as a reconnaissance unit with the Army while the tomahawks represent the type of planes with which it was once equipped. 

400 Squadron is located at Canadian Forces Base Borden, approximately 80 km north of Toronto. The town of Angus is located right outside the base and the city of Barrie (population 110,000) is 15 kms away. 

Squadron 400 was a tactical helicopter squadron.

Robert William Clarke enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Fore on April 25, 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario, he was 19 years old. He was at the Recruiting Centre in Ottawa. He did not have any training before he enlisted. I would assume that the training was difficult, since he had no experience before he enlisted and the training they had to do was challenging. 5 months later, he attended Manning Depot #1 in Toronto. He was then transferred 2 months later to the Initial Training School in Toronto. At the Initial Training School the soldiers learned the basics of war. He was then taken on strength by the Flying Training School in cap de la Madeleine, Quebec. 2 months later he was struck off strength, and he was given a Pilot Officer Rank. Couple days later he was supposed to go to Moncton but it was cancelled, for an unknown reason, maybe he wasn't ready. He was then sent to an Operational Training Unit in Saguenay, Quebec. It is unknown when he was there. After the OTU in Saguenay, he was then transferred to Moncton. On June 19, he was sent to Moncton. He was discharged under paragraph 392, reason is unknown. His last training in Canada was in Halifax. He probably wanted to join the war because he thought it was something cool to do, driving an aircraft, or even fighting in a war. 

Record Of Service

RCAF Badge. 

Death and Memorial

      Robert William Clarke was reported missingo on June 2nd, 1943, after air operations overseas and subsequently reported missing, believed killed over Gabourg-Lisieux Area, France. Was later presumed dead the same day, for official purposes. Robert Clarke was buried in the tranquil churchyard of l'Eglise Notre-Dame d'Epinay, Normandy.

Flowers pay tribute to a brave airman, buried here in the tranquil churchyard of l'Eglise Notre-Dame d'Epinay, Normandy. Picture taken 19 August 2011

Cemetery:
EPINAY CHURCHYARD
Eure,France

Second World War Book of Remembrance.

Works Cited:

"RCAF Squadrons - 400 Series | History | Royal Canadian Air Force | DND/CF ." Welcome to the Royal Canadian Air Force / Bienvenue à l'Aviation royale canadienne. National Defence, 3 Apr. 2009. Web. 5 May 2012. <http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/v2/hst/page-eng.asp?id=694>.

Allen Fred Charles

"RCAF Squadrons - 400 Series | History | Royal Canadian Air Force | DND/CF ." Welcome to the Royal Canadian Air Force / Bienvenue à l'Aviation royale canadienne. National Defence, 3 Apr. 2009. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/v2/hst/page-eng.asp?id=694>.