Alan Clarke was the only child of Robert and Ruth (Lapham) Clarke. After graduating from Ridgewood, N.J. High School in 1941, he attended Washington and Lee University for two years before applying to the Merchant Marine Academy. A memorial scholarship in his memory was later established at Washington and Lee. Alan was a well rounded athlete, playing on the football, golf and track teams.
According to his WWII Draft Registration card, signed June 30, 1942, he was 20 years old, 5'8" tall and weighed 179 pounds, he had brown hair and eyes and was light complected with no tattoos or distinguishing marks.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Class of 1944, USMMA Kings Point
Service No. B 28523
Posthumously awarded the Mariner's Medal, the Combat Bar, the Atlantic War Zone Bar, the Victory Medal, and the Presidential Testimonial Letter.
Address of Record: Ridgewood, New Jersey
The SS Meriwether Lewis was a Liberty Ship built in 1942; her homeport was Portland, Oregon.
On March 2, 1943, Deck Cadet ALAN ROBERT CLARKE was on board as the freighter, enroute from New York to the UK and then to Russia with a cargo of ammunition and tires, was straggling behind Convoy HX-227 in the North Atlantic. German submarine U-759 attacked the ship but had to quit due to engine problems. Before it quit, however, the sub led U-634 to the freighter. U-634 fired a spread of four torpedoes and one hit in the forward part of the ship.
After three hours and more hits, and the ammunition blowing up in the forward part of the ship, the Meriwether Lewis sank bow first.
A Coast Guard cutter searching the area for survivors found a 30 mile trail of automobile tires.
There were 44 Merchant Mariners and 32 Naval personnel on board; none survived.
According to his WWII Draft Registration card, signed June 30, 1942, he was 20 years old, 5'8" tall and weighed 179 pounds, he had brown hair and eyes and was light complected with no tattoos or distinguishing marks.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Class of 1944, USMMA Kings Point
Service No. B 28523
Posthumously awarded the Mariner's Medal, the Combat Bar, the Atlantic War Zone Bar, the Victory Medal, and the Presidential Testimonial Letter.
Address of Record: Ridgewood, New Jersey
The SS Meriwether Lewis was a Liberty Ship built in 1942; her homeport was Portland, Oregon.
On March 2, 1943, Deck Cadet ALAN ROBERT CLARKE was on board as the freighter, enroute from New York to the UK and then to Russia with a cargo of ammunition and tires, was straggling behind Convoy HX-227 in the North Atlantic. German submarine U-759 attacked the ship but had to quit due to engine problems. Before it quit, however, the sub led U-634 to the freighter. U-634 fired a spread of four torpedoes and one hit in the forward part of the ship.
After three hours and more hits, and the ammunition blowing up in the forward part of the ship, the Meriwether Lewis sank bow first.
A Coast Guard cutter searching the area for survivors found a 30 mile trail of automobile tires.
There were 44 Merchant Mariners and 32 Naval personnel on board; none survived.
Alan Clarke was the only child of Robert and Ruth (Lapham) Clarke. After graduating from Ridgewood, N.J. High School in 1941, he attended Washington and Lee University for two years before applying to the Merchant Marine Academy. A memorial scholarship in his memory was later established at Washington and Lee. Alan was a well rounded athlete, playing on the football, golf and track teams.
According to his WWII Draft Registration card, signed June 30, 1942, he was 20 years old, 5'8" tall and weighed 179 pounds, he had brown hair and eyes and was light complected with no tattoos or distinguishing marks.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Class of 1944, USMMA Kings Point
Service No. B 28523
Posthumously awarded the Mariner's Medal, the Combat Bar, the Atlantic War Zone Bar, the Victory Medal, and the Presidential Testimonial Letter.
Address of Record: Ridgewood, New Jersey
The SS Meriwether Lewis was a Liberty Ship built in 1942; her homeport was Portland, Oregon.
On March 2, 1943, Deck Cadet ALAN ROBERT CLARKE was on board as the freighter, enroute from New York to the UK and then to Russia with a cargo of ammunition and tires, was straggling behind Convoy HX-227 in the North Atlantic. German submarine U-759 attacked the ship but had to quit due to engine problems. Before it quit, however, the sub led U-634 to the freighter. U-634 fired a spread of four torpedoes and one hit in the forward part of the ship.
After three hours and more hits, and the ammunition blowing up in the forward part of the ship, the Meriwether Lewis sank bow first.
A Coast Guard cutter searching the area for survivors found a 30 mile trail of automobile tires.
There were 44 Merchant Mariners and 32 Naval personnel on board; none survived.
According to his WWII Draft Registration card, signed June 30, 1942, he was 20 years old, 5'8" tall and weighed 179 pounds, he had brown hair and eyes and was light complected with no tattoos or distinguishing marks.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Class of 1944, USMMA Kings Point
Service No. B 28523
Posthumously awarded the Mariner's Medal, the Combat Bar, the Atlantic War Zone Bar, the Victory Medal, and the Presidential Testimonial Letter.
Address of Record: Ridgewood, New Jersey
The SS Meriwether Lewis was a Liberty Ship built in 1942; her homeport was Portland, Oregon.
On March 2, 1943, Deck Cadet ALAN ROBERT CLARKE was on board as the freighter, enroute from New York to the UK and then to Russia with a cargo of ammunition and tires, was straggling behind Convoy HX-227 in the North Atlantic. German submarine U-759 attacked the ship but had to quit due to engine problems. Before it quit, however, the sub led U-634 to the freighter. U-634 fired a spread of four torpedoes and one hit in the forward part of the ship.
After three hours and more hits, and the ammunition blowing up in the forward part of the ship, the Meriwether Lewis sank bow first.
A Coast Guard cutter searching the area for survivors found a 30 mile trail of automobile tires.
There were 44 Merchant Mariners and 32 Naval personnel on board; none survived.
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