Hedley Thomas James Clark
Memorial: Thornbury - St Mary's Church
Regiment: Royal Marines
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Captain
Parents: Hedley James and Nellie M Clark
Home address: Church Road, Formby, Liverpool
Date of birth: 1922
Place of birth: Croyden, Surrey
Date of death: 17/09/1943
Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Salerno War Cemetery Italy and commemorated on Thornbury Grammar School Memorial
Age: 21
Further information:
Hedley was born in Croydon in Surrey and was the son of a chemical merchant’s agent. Hedley’s family lived at Quarry House Strode Common Alveston in the early thirties and Hedley briefly attended Thornbury Grammar School. The family then moved to Liverpool and Hedley attended Merchant Taylors’ School in Crosby, Liverpool between 1934 and 1939.
Hedley joined the Marines and at the end of 1940 was made temporary 2nd lieutenant. From May of 1941 he was upgraded to temporary lieutenant then was made temporary Captain in March of 1943. Hedley joined the 41 Commando unit which was formed in 1942 and fought with the Special Service Brigade. They took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily and later in the Salerno landings in Italy, where they suffered heavy casualties including two second-in-command's and most of the Troop Commanders, as well as Hedley. Hedley was initially buried in Pontecagnano in an unmarked grave until he was identified and reburied in Salerno in May 1944.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
Thornbury Roots - http://www.thornburyroots.co.uk/war/tgsmemorial2/