auklandcecil21

How interesting. Do you have any other news of him?

Can anyone put any light into his involvement with the Mullberry Harbours?

DJK

Can anyone tell me anything about this WWII officer?

I believe Arthur Cecil Clarke may have been involved with the Mullberry Harbours but maybe family heresay,

DJK

Hubertgrove

Further to my earlier initial reply concerning Arthur Cecil Clarke.

As a bit of background information.

His father was also Arthur Clarke (maybe hence he was known as Cecil) and his mother was Lol (Laura) Keeler who was my grandfathers sister.

They were married circa 1906 . My uncle Cecil was one of two sons, the other being Sydney who died at an unknown age.

The Clarkes and the Keelers lived in the South East London around the Beckenham area.

My Grandfather also married a Clarke (Emma Louise).

At what year uncle Cecil was born I am unclear but I quess circa 1910.

He worked I believe before the WW2 for the London Port Authority, hence why he may have been at Dunkirk but rather as assistance to the BEF rather than being part of it.

We were never told that he was part of the BEF.

DJK

Hill Head, Fareham, Hampshire

Thank you. That's a lot of information.

I also know - or have heard - the following:

He was originally in the Royal Engineers.

At Dunkirk, he was the one who came up with the idea of driving lorries into the sea and placing boards over the top so men could embark directly onto the boats.

He was then posted to the War Office (while on a bus with his step-daughter who become my mother, an officious old lady poked him in the chest and called him a 'whitehall warror' until the conductor told her to look at his sleeve where he had "wound stripes")

He then went to India. I don't know what he did there.

After the war he went to New Zealand and became harbour-master of Christchurch or Aukland Harbour.

But that's all I know of him unfortunately. Because his name is so common - definitely 'Clarke' and I am pretty sure about 'Arthur' and 'Cecil' - I have not been able to learn anything more.

To view the images on office dump you need an key word which is 'officer'.

Arthur Cecil Clarke was my 'uncle Cecil' cousin of my father Eric John Keeler who is now deceased. He was indeed Harbour Master in Aukland. My mother kept in touch with his wife Lottie until Lottie died. I met Uncle Cecil for the last time when he was over in circa 1965. Although I have not seen this photo it is him.