Gilbert Constantine Clarke, a Jamaican Second World War veteran who lied about his age to join the Royal Air Force at the age of 16, was laid to rest on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at East Ham Town Hall in London. Born in Montego Bay on December 3, 1925, Clarke died on May 23, 2026, at the age of 100.
Service and Sacrifice
Clarke signed up as a mechanic in 1943 after reading newspaper reports of ships being sighted in the Caribbean. He received basic training at the Kingston Palisades RAF camp in Jamaica before being sent on a troop-carrying ship to Britain via the United States. During the war, he was stationed at British and American air bases, where he fitted, serviced, and repaired radar and other electronic equipment for planes, including Hurricanes and Spitfires.
In 2024, Clarke told the Press Association how he lied about his age to join the RAF. 'I had just left school at 16 and I thought ‘why not?’,' he said at an event organised by the Spirit of Normandy Trust. He added: 'Everyone was doing their bit, you know. It was important not to do nothing because Hitler … there was word in the Caribbean saying any time he could be colonising the Caribbean and South America, and so we had to do something.'
Funeral with Full Honours
The funeral service featured a New Orleans-style jazz band leading the cortege in East Ham. Members of the RAF carried his coffin into the town hall, where it was draped in a Union Flag. Mourners included the Jamaican High Commissioner to the UK, Alexander Williams, who spoke at the service.
Colin Mills, chairman of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, which supported Clarke with free trips and entertainment, paid tribute. 'Gilbert represented the very best of his generation – courageous, humble and devoted to his country during one of the darkest periods in our history,' Mills told the Press Association. 'It was an honour for our charity and our volunteer London cab drivers to spend time with Gilbert over the years at commemorations, social events and trips where his warmth, humour and remarkable stories touched so many people. Veterans like Gilbert are at the heart of everything the Taxi Charity stands for and we will forever be grateful for his service and sacrifice. I personally felt it was a real privilege to be Gilbert’s driver on his last trip abroad with the West Indian Regiment to Ypres – a journey I will never forget and one that meant so much to all involved.'
Legacy of a Generation
Clarke’s life was commemorated as a testament to the contributions of Commonwealth soldiers in the Second World War. His decision to lie about his age to serve underscores the urgency felt across the Caribbean to defend against the threat of Nazi expansion. The funeral drew attention to the often-overlooked role of West Indian servicemen and women who volunteered to fight for the Allied cause.
