The Soldier's Details

Frank’s mother, Catherine Edith Callaghan died Worsley in January 1915.  Frank would have been about 18 months old.

His father Francis Stevens was unable to care for him at such a young age and it was arranged for Frank to be looked after by Margaret and Dave Clark.

Margaret Clark was Catherine‘s sister so this made her Frank’s aunt. Although never officially adopted he did officially change his name from Stevens to Clark before he married and enlisted in the A.l.F.

Dave and Margaret Clark had the store at Alexander Bridge, in fact the store overlooked the river and Alexander Bridge.  Dave Clark was formerly a timber feller from near Nannup.  He purchase the land and built the store which included living quarters in 1925, they mostly served the members of the several nearby Group Settlement families.  The store also contained the community’s Post Office.   It was well known throughout the community that during tough times, Dave Clark would never refuse credit to his clients, in particular those with large families.  Sometimes he would receive payment.  But more often than not the families would leave the district penniless.  Despite the fact Dave and Margaret had their own young family to support, Dave continued with his acts of kindness for which he was widely known for.

Frank was residing at Karridale when he enlisted.

Frank Clark played in the 2/4th footy team which included Joe Pearce, Ron Badock, Clive Hellmrich (died illness Dec 1943 Kanchanaburi), Edgar Hunt (died dysentery Aug 1943 aged 29 years at Hindaine Camp) and Frank Clark (died illness October 1943 Kuii Camp aged 39 years) just to name a few.

Read about 2/4th Football team.

 

Frank was close friends with ‘Forrie’ Lee-Steere.

Major Alf Gough, Commanding officer of ‘D’ Force Thailand, V Battalion said Clark would cook dishes for him when he was ill with beri-beri.  Clark himself became exhausted and ill.

Clark had earlier looked after his mate Forrie Lee Steere who had been diagnosed and was very ill with cholera , and confined to the isolation tent.   Lee Steere amazingly rallied at one point, but his too weakened body was exhausted and he  was unable to hold on and he died a week later.

One night in October, Clark came into the tent, climbed into his bunk saying he was very, very tired.  The next morning, Cough wrote ‘Clark remained in his bunk, too tired to go on, he was exhausted.’  Cough wrote he recognised the look in his eyes.   Clark’s body now too weak to hold his indomitable spirit.

Alf Gough wrote in his diary ‘Clark died a man’.

Below:  Photocopied page of Alf Cough’s War Diary, highlighted by Murrray Ewen from ‘Colour Patch’ with Alf’s  description about the deaths of Lee-Steere and Frank.

Please read about ‘D’ Force Thailand V Battalion, Kuii Camp

Frank left his widow Joan (nee Lindley) and two daughters Elayne and Marion.

The below notice is from Cliff Spackman and his family.

 

 

 

Photo taken January 2018

Please read story of Tom Lewis

 

Below:  David Clark died in 1934.  He was highly regarded in the community.

 

 

South-Western News (Busselton, WA : 1903 – 1949), Friday 21 April 1939 from ‘Margaret River Notes’

 

Below:  Frank marries Joan Lindley in 1938.

27 June 1938, ‘Country News’

Mandurah

 

Below the birth of their first daughter in 1939.

Below:  In 1941, their second daughter is born.

 

Frank Clark’s name is inscribed on Busselton WW2 Memorial.

 

 

Below:  Frank’s family receive good news – which sadly was not to be.