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    Laurence "Buck" Clark was my mother's kid brother. Buck was a bomber pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was killed the night of April 28/29, 1943 when his Wellington bomber was shot down off the coast of Denmark by German 88mm antiaircraft guns. They were returning from a mine laying mission. Three of his crew were also killed. The tail gunner survived and was held as a prisoner of war until the war ended.

    The studio portrait on the preceding page was taken in London the week before Easter, which was April 25. The portrait was matted and framed by the photographer and sent directly to my grandparents, Buck's parents, in Hollywood, California. I didn't remove the photograph from the mat for scanning. On the back the photo studio date stamped the print, April, 28, 1943. The photo arrived after word of his death.

    The following pages contain some material that was passed down to me by my mother in the late 1990's as well as some that came from the estate of her sister, my aunt. There are some old photographs of Buck as a child and young man, some of him in his RCAF uniform while home on leave, some in training, or on an airbase somewhere. There is a copy of his last letter home, written only four days before he was killed. There is a copy of a letter from the RCAF confirming that he and his crew are buried in the Fourfeldt Gravlund Cemetery, Esbjerg, Denmark only a few hundred yards from where their Wellington crashed into the sea. There are contemporary photos of the cemetery and gravestones. There are photographs of his pilot wings and the medals he was awarded. In some ways most interesting is a copy of his Pilot's Flying Log Book which records his flight training in the RCAF through his last mission. To read the log book, click HERE.

    During my research into Buck's service history I discovered an excellent book by fellow pilot J. Alwyn Phillips that details the history of the war's most intense bomber campaign, from March through July, 1943. Click HERE for a link. Phillips lists missions, squadrons and aircrew day by day for the entire period, including every aircraft lost with a complete list of the crew. The book is hard to find but worth the effort for those with a special interest in the history.

    While some things provide answers, others only add a touch of mystery. Buck was issued U.S. Merchant Marine papers in 1937, but to the best of my knowledge never served aboard a ship. However, among his service medals from the Canadian government is one for "service aboard a ship at sea."

    The Canadian Department of Veteran's Affairs has an extensive memorial website listing many, many soldiers, seaman, and airmen who lost their lives in wars. This website is linked on one of their pages. Click HERE to see it. There is also a memorial page for each one. Click HERE to see Buck's page. One final item. Canada has a Book of Remembrance which lists by date every serviceman killed. Buck is listed on page 146 of the volume for the Second World War. Click HERE to see the page.

    I hope to research the history of this uncle who gave me his name as time and resources permit. And, at some point, I hope to organize the material gathered in some logical fashion. In the meantime I present it here so that other members of my family can have access to Buck's life. If you want to see where Buck fits into the family tree just click HERE for the complete family tree.

    One more thing. I just added a forum page to this site so that visitors can leave comments, stories, or almost anything else they think might be of interest to other visitors. I encourage other veterans of WWII, or their families, especially those who served with the Bomber Command, to leave their thoughts. Click HERE to go directly to the forum. If you have photos or other material you think might be of interest, or that I might post here please email me: larry@luckham.com.

 

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