Winter 2025 9 two of us. I thought: ‘She’s got nice legs.’ We used to go to the pictures together at The Lido in West Ealing and we went dancing at the Hammersmith Palais: most of the cinemas in those days had dance floors. She was a good dancer, you know. While in England I also did a motorcycle despatch rider’s course [which was to come in very useful later after his discharge]. Very soon after we were married, I sailed from Southampton in the Johan Van Oldenbarnveldt [a 20,238 gross tonnage Netherlands Line Royal Dutch Mail ship, which could carry up to 4,000 troops] to Bombay. After a period at Woril [just outside Bombay (now Mumbai)], we were crammed into aircraft and flew across India to Secunderabad, the Overseas Depot for the RAF Regiment.” From there, the new arrivals were posted to the airfield at Feni, close to Chittagong (now Chattagram), in what is now Bangladesh. Feni was less than thirty miles south of Comilla, Headquarters of the Fourteenth Army. 2802 Squadron was also based at Agartala, a similar distance north of Comilla. As the Fourteenth Army advanced south, the Squadron moved initially to Meiktila and then to Toungoo, before establishing themselves briefly at Pyu and then Pegu, and then moving west to Hmawbi and finally to Mingaladon, just north of Rangoon. On 15 September 1945 – exactly a month after the Japanese surrender – there was an article in the Straits Echo & Pinang [sic] Gazette, a section of which was headed ‘The Great Burma Drive’. Dave sent it to Sophia, writing, ‘Read This Darling’: ‘At Meiktila, against overwhelming odds, they were flown in to keep the Allied aircraft flying, though Japanese had to be cleared from the airfield daily. Later, there came the lonely, arduous and gruelling work in defending RAF installations outside Army lines. It was only fitting that, on the triumphal entry into Rangoon, the RAF Regiment should have been amongst the first troops to occupy that city.’ Dave explained: “We were equipped with the Bofors 40 mm L/60. There was a crew of three: No. 1 used to fire it; No. 2 did the elevation, and No. 3 did the traversing. I was a No. 2. It’s a period of life I try to forget all about.” The newspaper was a rare survival, as Vicky explained: “Unfortunately, he insisted on putting all their wartime correspondence into Mum’s coffin, otherwise we’d know a lot more.” Dave continued: “After the war ended, I went to Singapore and then to Penang [an island off the north-west coast of Malaya]. We weren’t really doing much but there was still a lot of bull, though. That When I was at Penang, they asked for volunteers to go to Hiroshima. There weren’t any volunteers – so men were selected. Roy Crouch and I agreed that, if either of us drew the short straw, then we’d both go together. Luckily, we never went. 2802 Squadron was disbanded, and I joined 2962 Squadron, in the Light Anti-Aircraft role: we now had two air defence flights and one infantry flight and were sent to Batavia (now Jakarta) to support the Dutch authorities in their fight against the insurgents. There was an incident when someone else took over my duty and was standing on the wing of an aircraft when he was accidentally shot and killed. It could have been me. In April 1946, I took part in a parade to celebrate the birthday of Princess Juliana of The Netherlands [who succeeded her mother Author, Jeremy Archer, Burma Star Association as Queen of The Netherlands in September 1948]. While stationed in the Far East, I had two tattoos, one on each forearm: one for ‘Mother’ and the other for ‘Sophia’. They’re both rather faded now, I’m afraid.” On 18 November 1944 at St. Stephen’s, West Ealing, Dave Clark married Sophia, second daughter of Frederick Charles Witchalls, coal porter and member of the Metropolitan Police Reserve, of 63 Elsa Street, Limehouse and his wife Mary, daughter of John Maher, coal porter, of 56 Elsa Street, Limehouse. Her aunt, Sophia Olive Witchalls, after whom she was named, was killed during the London Blitz on 10 October 1940, when on nursing duty at St. Leonard’s Hospital, Shoreditch. The fourth son and the one closest to her in age, 6351554 Lance Corporal Herbert (Bert) Witchalls, 6th Battalion, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment, was killed in action in Italy on 14 November 1943 and is buried in Sangro River War Cemetery. After the war, Dave and Sophia had five children: what might perhaps be described as the ‘Dave Clark Five’ comprised Brenda, Terry, Philip, Stephen and Vicky. According to his Royal Air Force Service and Release Book (R.A.F. Form 2520A), 1619494 Leading Aircraftman Clark D. C. enlisted on 15 June 1942 and served overseas from 14 December 1944 till 5 August 1946. On 18 July 1946, Squadron Leader L. W. Crew wrote: ‘His ability and experience as a joiner have enabled him to do many important jobs for his unit. Keen on the work, gives excellent results. Should do well in this trade.’ Discharged from active duty with the RAF on 15 September 1946, Dave was granted 77 days’ leave, during which period he collected his pay fortnightly from the Post Office, The Avenue, West Ealing. Unlike many Servicemen and -women, he didn’t return to his pre-war job; instead, he found work with an industrial washing machine business or, perhaps more accurately, a laundry. Later he had a van, from which he sold Sun Blest bread and Harris’s meats. He also did some carpentry and worked as a painter and decorator.
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