A biography below of Able Seaman Robert ‘Robin’ or ‘Bob’ Warner Clarke, son of Frank Thomas and May Clarke, of Mill Avenue, Broadway, Worcestershire, who died during the sinking of the submarine HMS P311 on 8th January 1943. Robin was declared missing in action after the sinking, and notification that he was presumed dead was received by his parents the following March.
Robin was educated at Broadway Council School and after leaving school was employed by an Evesham firm of fishmongers until he signed up with the Navy just before his 18th birthday. He had only been in the Navy for a year when he was killed, aged 19, in the sinking of submarine HMS P311.
Robert is commemorated on the Broadway War Memorial and the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire, England, Panel 74, Column 1.
Today we remember Able Seaman Robert Warner Clarke of Broadway who died, aged 19, 76 years ago during the Second World War. Robert, known as Bob, was a member of the crew on submarine HMS P311 when she was sunk by a mine on 8th January 19431 off the coast of Tavolara Island, a small island to the north east of Sardinia.
Bob, was born in Broadway, one of nine children of Frank Thomas Clarke and May Clarke (née Meadows). After the outbreak of the Second World War, Bob enlisted with the Royal Navy Submarine Service and was posted to serve on HMS P311.
1942: On board Submarine Depot Ship HMS Forth, Holy Loch, Scotland. The depot ship HMS Forth is transferring a practice torpedo to the HMS P311. HMS Sibyl (P217) is seen alongside and another submarine can be seen in the background.
HMS P311 was a T-class…
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