Diary of George William Edward Clark, January 1941 - September 1942
Collection relating to the Second World War service of NX1058 Gunner George William Edward Clark, 1 Battery, 2/1 Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, 1940-1988.
In the second of five diaries, Clark documents his active service as a gunner with 2/1st Field Regiment in the Middle East and Europe. He pens his first entry after entraining from Gaza on New Year's Eve 1940, and proceeds to detail his experiences during the first major Australian battle of the war at Bardia and the subsequent Capture of Tobruk over the opening months of 1941. In the course of providing artillery support in the vicinity of Bardia, Tobruk, and Derna, he comments on thronging transport routes, periods of heavy shelling, air raids, destroyed aircraft at Benina aerodrome and Italian prisoners. He also makes note of attending a speech given by Prime Minister Robert Menzies in the Western Desert on 11 February 1941.
After embarking for Athens on 10 April 1941, Clark details a frenetic month of service spanning the Greek Campaign and its aftermath. His entries during this period vividly describe the unfolding chaos of the ill-conceived campaign as he traverses much of the country following faltering attempts to advance into position, only to suddenly turn back and begin a hurried retreat from advancing German forces. Other entries for this period cover evacuation attempts at Kalamata, the surrender of Allied forces stranded in the city, being taken a prisoner of war and a demanding period of internment in Greece.
After entraining at Corinth on 7 June 1941, Clark covers his journey through Greece and Yugoslavia to a prisoner of war camp in Austria. Subsequent entries document his internment for the remainder of 1941, primarily at Stalag XVIII-A in Wolfsberg and Stalag XVIII-B in Spittal an der Drau. He devotes particular attention to describing rations, but also makes regular and detailed references to camp conditions, work activities, the composition and treatment of prisoners and medical matters including a serious case of appendicitis. Closing diary entries largely focus on a somewhat subdued Christmas period and Red Cross parcels.
A number of diary entries were retrospectively annotated by Clark with rueful but humorous observations whilst hospitalised in August 1941. The diary also includes monthly financial memoranda, a summary of events through to September 1942, miscellaneous notes and a handmade mock calling card.
Related information
Events
Units
Places
- Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Barce
- Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Benghazi
- Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Benghazi, Benina
- Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Derna
- Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Tobruk Area, Tobruk
- Africa: North Africa, Western Desert, Western Desert (Egypt), Mersa Matruh
- Europe: Austria, Karnten, Wolfsberg
- Europe: Austria, Spittal an der Drau
- Europe: Greece, Athens
- Europe: Greece, Peloponnese, Corinth
- Europe: Greece, Peloponnese, Kalamata
- Europe: Yugoslavia, Croatia
- Middle East: British Mandate of Palestine, Palestine, Gaza