Face of the Day

“…. .- .--. .--. -.– / -… .. .-. - …. -.. .- -.- ”

A Morse code birthday blessing for John Daniel Clark – because the wartime Royal Navy signalman and telegraphist’s second language is Morse code. He still taps it, speaks it, thinks it – even 80 years after the war. And now, as he turns 100 on Anzac Day, April 25, the new centenarian is saluted with “dits and dahs”.

“…. .- .--. .--. -.– / -… .. .-. - …. -.. .- -.- ” Happy Birthday.

For three years aboard that beast of a heavy cruiser, the 10,000-ton, 70-gun HMS Suffolk during the dark days of Word War II, it was Clark’s duty to shadow Hitler – in a windowless radio cabin trawling for active Morse transmissions from enemy territory, and to transmit critical messages on enemy troop movements and positions, weather and tactical orders.

“Four hours on, eight off, round the clock. You started thinking in Morse,” said the Leading Signalman when The Weekend Sun visited last week. Probably dreaming, too, in Morse. Now it’s a party piece. The 100-year-old can still chatter in Morse, mimicking a Morse key by clicking his tongue and lips.

“Dit-dit-dit-dit dit dit-dah-dit-dit dit-da-dit-dit dah-dah-dah – hullo”

He likes that, thinks it’s funny.

NZ Herald