Vale - Stanley CLARK DFC, O217663, Pilot ....

Born in Sydney, Air Commodore Clark was educated at Parramatta High School before enlisting in the Royal Australian Air Force as a cadet at the Royal Australian Air Force College in 1956.  Graduating in December 1959 as a pilot, he commenced his flying career flying Dakota aircraft at No 38 Squadron at Richmond, New South Wales.  Selected as a VIP pilot, he served at No 34 Squadron at Fairbairn, Australian Capital Territory where he was co-pilot on the special crew allocated to fly the then Prime Minister of Australia, Sir Robert Menzies.

In 1962, he trained as a captain on the C-130A Hercules aircraft at No 36 Squadron.  He flew with this squadron for some five years, operating extensively throughout South-East Asia, Australia its Territories including Papua New Guinea.  He was involved in operations during confrontation.  In 1967, he was loaned to the Royal Malaysian Air Force as a VIP captain flying Dove and Heron aircraft.

Returning to Australia in 1969, he was briefly a staff officer in the Air Plans area of Headquarters Operational Command at Glenbrook, New South Wales before being trained on Caribou aircraft.  In November 1970, he took command of No 35 Squadron at Vung Tau, in South Vietnam.  He held this post until November 1971.  For his operational flying activities, he was recognised with the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).

After three years as a staff officer responsible for Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force Joint Operations and Plans, he underwent formal staff training at the Royal Australian Air Force Staff College at Fairbairn.  On completion in 1976 he was appointed to command No 38 Squadron.  Following this, in 1978, he was posted to the Australian Command and Staff College at Fort Queenscliff as the first air force member of the directing staff at that establishment.

From 1980 to 1983, he was appointed as Air Attache in the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia.  This was followed by two years as Officer Commanding Royal Australian Air Force Base, Townsville, Queensland.  Next followed a period in Air Force Office in the Department of Defence, Canberra, where he firstly was responsible for the implementation planning for the new base at Tindal in the Northern Territory and then, after his promotion to Air Commodore, for the definition and the acquisition of all major and minor Royal Australian Air Force equipment projects.

In 1990, he was appointed to command all the transport forces of the Royal Australian Air Force at Air Lift Group at Richmond.  Converting to the C-130E aircraft, he participated in the Gulf War as well as conducting operations in all the aircraft types under his command.  In 1994, he retired from the Royal Australian Air Force after some 38 years of service.

In 1995, he joined AWA Defence Industries, firstly as Manager, International Sales and Marketing and, shortly afterwards, as General Manager Sales.  In 1996, after the takeover by British Aerospace, he became Manager International Marketing and Sales for the Group.  With the further expansion of the group by takeovers in Australia and overseas, he became a Military Adviser to firstly British Aerospace, and then to BAE Systems.  He now operates as a consultant in the Defence Industry field.

Air Commodore Clark was married to Patricia Jean and had three children and five grandsons. He was a qualified linguist in Indonesian and Malay. His long experience in South-East Asia made him a keen student of international affairs and regional culture.

His other awards include: Australian Active Service Medal 1945-1975 with Clasps Thailand,Vietnam and Thai-Malay; GSM 1962 with Clasp Borneo; Vietnam Medal; Australian Active Service Medal 1975- with Clasp Kuwait; Australian Service Medal 1945-1975 with Clasps PNG and South-East Asia; Defence Force Service Medal with four Clasps; National Medal with First Clasp; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; Saudi-Arabia Liberation of Kuwait Medal and Kuwait Liberation Medal.

He was a State President of the RAAF Association and State Chairman of the Battle for Australia Committee.  He was also Vice-Chairman of the Australian Forces Overseas Fund and an alternate Director of the Australian Vietnam War Veterans Trust.  He was a mamber of the Commonwealth Club.