Lieutenant General Samuel Findlay Clark CBE, CD (1909–1998) was a senior Canadian Army officer who became Chief of the General Staff (CGS), the professional head of the Canadian Army, from 1958 until 1961.
Samuel Findlay Clark | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1909 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Died | 1998 (aged 88–89) |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service | Canadian Army |
| Years of service | 1933–1961 |
| Rank | Lieutenant general |
| Unit | Royal Canadian Corps of Signals |
| Commands | Chief of the General Staff |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire Canadian Forces' Decoration |
Education
editClark received his early education in Winnipeg[1] and attended the University of Manitoba, graduating with a degree in electrical engineering (BSc EE) in 1932.[2] He subsequently attended the University of Saskatchewan to obtain a degree in mechanical engineering (BSc ME) in 1933.[2]
Career
editHe enrolled in the Canadian Army in 1933, joining the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals as a lieutenant.[2]
In 1938, he was promoted to captain and posted to the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) as an associate professor of electrical and mechanical engineering.[2] At the time, Harry Crerar was the RMC commandant and Guy Simonds was the commander of a cadet company.[2] He was appointed adjutant of the I Canadian Corps Signals.[2]
He served in World War II, initially as commanding officer of 5th Canadian Armoured Division Signals Regiment, and from 1942 as a general staff officer at Canadian Military Headquarters in London.[2] In 1943 he was made chief signals officer at the headquarters of II Canadian Corps and served in North West Europe.[2]
In 1945 he became Deputy Chief of the General Staff in Ottawa before becoming a member of the Military Committee of the Western European Union and then of NATO.[2] He became Quartermaster-General of the Canadian Army in 1951 and general officer commanding Central Command at Oakville, Ontario in 1955.[2] He was appointed Chief of the General Staff in 1958.[2]
Retirement
editFrom until 1 October 1968 until 24 March 1973, Clark served as colonel commandant of the new Communications and Electronics Branch.[3] He died in 1998.[4]
References
edit- ^ Who's who in Canada, Volume 58 edited by Charles Whately Parker, Barnet M. Greene
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Robert Engen, "Army Biography," Canadian Army Journal, Volume 11, No.2, Summer 2008 (pp. 93–95). Archived 2011-06-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ RCSigs History
- ^ From a speech given by Dr. R.H. Roy about the Lieutenant-General S. F. Clark, CBE CD Scholarship University of Victoria