We regret to advise of the death of Sapper Melvin E. “Mel” Clark (Ret’d) peacefully at home in Dartmouth NS on 12 July 2014 at the age of 91 years.
Mel was born in Halifax NS and spent much of his youth in Shubenacadie NS. He was a veteran of the Second World War having joined the Canadian Army in 1941 at the age of 18 and being assigned to the Royal Canadian Engineers. After training at Camp Petawawa ON, he sailed to Britain where he jjoined the 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Engineers and trained in the south of England. In 1943, Mel was then assigned to the 1st Field Company and landed in Sicily on the beaches of Pachino on the morning of 10 July of that year. During the landing, his truck hit a mine but fortunately, only the tire was damaged. Mel first saw the enemy a few days later while supporting the Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment in capturing the town of Grammichele. He was badly wounded in action in October 1944 and evacuated first to a general hospital in Avellino Italy and then sent back to England in December. He re-joined his unit in January 1945 and returned to action where he served in the liberation of Belgium and The Netherlands. Mel returned to Canada, landing in Halifax in 1946.
After the war Mel became a diesel mechanic, worked on an ore carrier on the Great Lakes and repaired tug engines at the Construction Equipment Company in Halifax. He later sold heavy equipment throughout Nova Scotia and Newfoundland until 1978 when he started his own saw sharpening and gunsmith business. Mel collected Second World War memorabilia and by the 1980s, had enough material to start the Royal Canadian Legion Somme Branch #31 museum in Dartmouth. He served as the museum curator for many years.
Cremation has taken place. A private family committal service will take place in Brookside Cemetery, Mill Village. A Celebration of Life will be held 11:00 AM 19 July at the Tinsmith Museum, Highway 2 Shubenacadie. Memorial donations may be made to the Maritime Heart Centre, 508 5991 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS or to the Tinsmith Shop Museum, 2854 Hwy. 2 Shubenacadie. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.ettingerfuneralhome.com. {dcJan2020gd} [zpp]
