CLARK, Neville Roy Maslen
| Service Number: | 21614 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 February 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Flying Officer |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia, 23 October 1917 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Flying Battle, Germany, 28 May 1944, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands 16 B 8, Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Leichhardt War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Flying Officer, 21614 | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Feb 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 21614 | |
| 28 May 1944: | Involvement On the 28th of May 1944 Clark took off in his Supermarine Mark XI Spitfire PA.885 to carry out a photographic reconnaissance of targets in the Ruhr area in Germany. No further was heard of him. The plane was shot down by German Flak He crashed down on the evening of 28may 1944 at 20.15 hours in the community of Meerlo. Location 51.50582185318412, 6.097084052176415, street: Keuter, Meerlo. He was buried on 30-05-1944 by the Germans on de military Cemetery in Venlo Holland , grave 152 row 7, now burred in Jonkerbosch Britisch Cemetery (E.685601) Plot XVI – row b – Grave no.8. A group of metal-detecting hunters dug out te plane illegally in September 2018 and showed parts of the aircraft wreckage on the Internet. These parts of the British Spitfire fighter aircraft were illegally removed following (partial) excavation of the aircraft. There was a police investigation in 2019/2020 focused on pursuing any possible prosecution on the basis of the cultural heritage legislation. The police was also exploring the possibility of investigating and submitting the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office as a case of “common” theft. The reasoning behind that approach was, of course, the sovereign right of State ownership of any government property regardless where it is located. That principle also underlies the earlier discussions regarding wrecks on the North Sea. | |
| Date unknown: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 21614 |
investigation Spitfire PA885
The pilots name was R.A.A.F f.o Neville R.M Clark (21614). He and his wife lived in Sydney Australia.
He was a member of the 542 Squadron R.A.F station Bensom.
On the 28th of May 1944 Clark took off in his Supermarine Mark XI Spitfire PA.885 to carry out a photographic reconnaissance of targets in the Ruhr area in Germany. No further was heard of him.
The plane was shot down by German Flak
He crashed down on the evening of 28may 1944 at 20.15 hours in the community of Meerlo. Location 51.50582185318412, 6.097084052176415, street: Keuter, Meerlo
He was buried on 30-05-1944 by the Germans on de military Cemetery in Venlo Holland , grave 152 row 7, now burred in Jonkerbosch Britisch Cemetery (E.685601) Plot XVI – row b – Grave no.8.
A group of metal-detecting hunters dug out te plane illegally in September 2018 and showed parts of the aircraft wreckage on the Internet.
These parts of the British Spitfire fighter aircraft were illegally removed following (partial) excavation of the aircraft.
There was a police investigation in 2019/2020 focused on pursuing any possible prosecution on the basis of the cultural heritage legislation.
The police was also exploring the possibility of investigating and submitting the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office as a case of “common” theft.
The reasoning behind that approach was, of course, the sovereign right of State ownership of any government property regardless where it is located. That principle also underlies the earlier discussions regarding wrecks on the North Sea.
Submitted 29 December 2020 by Frank Aa
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of William Roy and Dorothy Grace Clark; husband of Phyllis Mary Clark, of Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia.
Click images to start slideshow.