3rd Engineer Herbert Clark

[CONCERNED]

THE bravery of a South Shields war hero is to be officially recognised, almost 70 years after he made the ultimate sacrifice.

3rd Engineer Herbert Clark was on board the SS San Roberto when it was hit by enemy bombs in May, 1941.

Although he wasn't physically injured in the attack, he suffered heart problems in the weeks afterwards, and collapsed and died in July 1941.

But war chiefs said his death was not linked to the bombing and he was buried in a humble grave in Harton Cemetery, South Shields.

Recognition ... Herbert Clark.

Now, however, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has recognised his death was a direct result of the raid and Mr Clark will be given official honours, including a posthumous Atlantic Star medal.

Nephew Ray Buck, who never met his uncle, said: "It was clear from the records his death was linked to the bombing, yet it had never been given official recognition.

"But now he's going to be given the recognition he deserves. We're so proud."

When Mr Buck began a quest to find out more about the uncle he never knew, he started with a blank canvas.

He knew Herbert Clark was on a ship which was bombed during the Second World War, but didn't know much more about his life or death.

But when he tracked down his humble grave, it sparked a three-year fight to get recognition for the ultimate sacrifice Mr Clark made for his country.

Now, more than 67 years after his death, Mr Clark is to be commemorated.

Mr Buck, born two years after his uncle died, said: "It was a totally different time then. No one really talked about how he'd died."

With only the name of his aunt – Herbert's wife – and her home town of South Shields, Mr Buck managed to trace her grave to Harton Cemetery.

And there he saw the resting place of his uncle, undistinguished but for a small headstone, engraved with a message from the personnel of the SS San Roberto.

Mr Buck said: "Without that engraving I'd have been at a dead end – but because it was there we knew the ship he sailed on, and it opened up whole new avenues."

Mr Buck discovered that uncle Herbert was on board the SS San Roberto – part of the Eagle Oil and Shipping Company fleet used to carry oil up and down the coast of England and Scotland in the Second World War – when it was hit by a Nazi bombing raid.

A bomb struck the ship off the east coast of England on May 10, 1941, blowing him into the engine room bilges.

Two months later Mr Clark died on board ship from a heart attack.

The 41-year-old had never suffered any previous medical problems, and official documents showed that the ship's captain Cyril Alison, as well as others on the ship, agreed the bombing was the probable cause of his death. But war chiefs dismissed the link and his death was not officially recognised as related to battle.

Unlike his fallen colleagues, Mr Clark was never given a medal.

Mr Buck said: "It was clear from the records that his death was linked to the original bombing, yet it had never been given official recognition.

"I contacted everyone possible to make the case, and I've had to provide piles and piles of evidence to back the claims up, but we look back on it now and realise it was worth it."

Mr Buck contacted his local MP, William Hague, who gave him advice on the best agencies and individuals to contact.

He and wife Christine, 63, then spent months contacting offices across the country to get copies of crucial documents such as his birth certificate, marriage certificate and the ship's official log.


And last month, Neil Staples, superintendent at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, wrote to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission backing Mr Buck's battle for his uncle to be commemorated.

He said: "My decision is that, although I cannot categorically state that Herbert Clark's cause of death was the result of the injuries he sustained during direct enemy action on the 9/10 May 1941, there is a case for putting forward the probable cause of Herbert Clark's demise was the injuries he sustained during that attack.

"The evidence certainly establishes a clear link between the attack and his death a short time later. In those circumstances my decision is that Mr Herbert Clark now be commemorated by your commission."

The commission has since been in contact with Mr Buck to say it agreed with the recommendation.

Mr Buck said: "It was an intriguing tale. he'd risked his life with many others at sea, but never got full recognition for that.

"The San Roberto was a key vessel, and kept Britain's oil supply moving, he'd played his part in the war but we realised it was up to us to have that recognised.

"But for a small urn for flowers, it was an unmarked grave. I wanted to change that and give him the headstone he deserved."

In Memory of
Third Engineer HERBERT CLARK

S.S. San Roberto, Merchant Navy
who died age 41
on 05 July 1941

Remembered with honour
SOUTH SHIELDS (HARTON) CEMETERY

Commemorated in perpetuity by
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

[KG]

Ray has spent many years attempting to have Herbert Clark Commemorated, providing all documentation and evidence etc. A major hold up was that although the Commonwealth War Grave Commission eventually agreed in principal, there was apparently no one in a position to ratify the decision. Ray’s determination has hopefully ensured that all others that may seek or have sought similar, should find all much easier on application or re-application.

Members of the armed forces are apparently commemorated virtually automatically regardless of cause of death. An airman in a car crash etc would suffice. In the case of the loss of Merchant Seamen this has to be proved without doubt and be due to enemy action. Only then to be for many years, until Ray’s involvement sidelined until someone became appointed to pass the final judgment on how or if a person would be remembered.

KG.
Herbert Clark Commemorated

“The more that the achievement is publicised, then any one that may have a similar situation will realise that they can possibly have their relative commemorated if they qualify for War Grave Status, more so now that there is in place a definite procedure to have documentation approved through the RSS and the CWGC.

At least Herbert will not now be forgotten

The big stumbling block seemed to be that no one had the authority to ratify a decision until I was able to find a contact via my MP in the RSS then things went along quite quickly.
I’m hoping as soon as the cemeteries department are agreeable to having the commission stone erected, the work will get underway ( I understand that it may take several months, even up to a year ) one can only hope” !

Regards Ray

1940 and Churchill nearly despaired. This is a speech he made: -

"The Merchant Navy, with its Allied comrades, night and day, in weather fair or foul, faces not only the ordinary perils on the sea, but the sudden assaults of war from beneath the waters or from the sky. Your first task is to bring to port the cargoes vital for us at home or for our Armies abroad, and we trust your tenacity and resolve to see this stern task through. We are a seafaring race, and we understand the call of the sea. We account you, in these hard days, worthy successors to a tradition of steadfast courage and high adventure. We feel confident that the proud tradition of our Island will be upheld today - wherever the Ensign of a British Merchantman is flown."

What a wonderful recognition, by a great man, of the part played by all our merchant seamen in the darkest days of the War. In contrast; let us consider the language used by today's British government as it decides how it recognises the efforts of the Merchant Navy in that conflict.

"Merchant Navy men will be granted a 'Veterans Medal' if they can prove that the ships that they sailed in facilitated Military Operations".

Without the Merchant Marine and the food and raw materials they brought, there would not have been any 'military operations'.

David Simpson.

Surely the person responsible to make decisions on the Merchant Navy 'Veterans Medal' could have been involved in the process of ratifying decisions’ during the years taken to appoint an official to decide upon on something as important as commemoration. It would assist all those that morn if the red tape involved was reduced. I thank Ray for helping all.

KG.