businessman sir bob clark january january british naval officer businessman clark attended cambridge leaving age join royal naval volunteer reserve second world war discovered colour blind relegated non posts prospect found volunteered service saw active service italy amphibious missions later liaison officer partisans clark captured germans later awarded gallantry chance meeting war led position law firm slaughter soon partner switched career merchant banker developed expertise company acquisitions clark acted chairman director numerous firms sat governments bodies committees clark met attempted news world starting lifelong acquaintance led hill samuel takeover brought non executive director media companies clark embroiled scandal death clark claimed ignorant million company pension scheme faced non confidence vote shareholders survived chairman group rebuild scandal early life born january london parents father mechanical engineer sir clark attended london evacuated school westward devon outbreak second world war clark keen football player captain team head boy school went cambridge study modern languages whilst gained blue football college years played rivals oxford_university navy career clark left cambridge age join royal naval volunteer reserve officer initial training near portsmouth clark discovered colour blind passed medical examination man sitting answers clark served aboard convoy escort operations atlantic mediterranean attending whilst colour discovered banned frustrated able fight enemy directly clark volunteered service irregular warfare unit june having claimed experience working small boats undertook commando training scottish highlands training cornwall completing training clark dispatched algeria september south east italy december attached undertook amphibious sabotage reconnaissance operations running agents enemy held beaches canoe wireless operator missions future wife joined aid nursing cover women joined march clark previously held acting rank sub lieutenant confirmed substantive temporary rank clark volunteered parachute training subsequently allocated designation british assistance provided anti german partisans northern italy south november radio operator petty officer act liaison officer partisans clark parachute jump childhood bear inside comfort good luck despite landed miles course tree breaking ribs clark rescued local partisan partisans clark set resistance training methods warfare instructed avoid communists possible superiors fearing actions war finding communists organised motivated group area proceeded arm arranged air drop arms explosives led partisans railway sabotage expeditions clark later recalled blowing railway engines great fun work partisans awarded highest award gallantry royal_navy clark betrayed captured german patrol december whilst trying hide partisans clark managed avoid summary execution hands germans held italian prisons interrogated frequently later transferred und prisoner war camp near bremen know clark alive sent message strictly standing orders reading bob sends love camp liberated clark returned london sending ahead telegram stating arriving london germany meet met shook hands later married clark bear age accompanied time prisoner thought bear enemy lines survived prisoner war clark served promoted lieutenant march later year post war clark intended war chance meeting old commanding officer james led offered position clerk law firm slaughter clark later said meeting knew law accepted luck worked proved skilled arranging companies years joining firm partner age years slaughter clark worked exclusively firm merchant bank clients involved bitter takeover clark director better known civil engineering firm remain board work clark acquainted partners merchant bank later known largest country men feet inches tall clever looking fourth partner clark tall man fitted apparent criteria accepted fourth partnership bank retired partnership slaughter september hill samuel headed issues department advised largest company british history clark handled expansions worked win firm business abroad acted family sale times newspaper lord parties final price disputed clark successfully reached agreement coin correctly called fall won additional clark kept half crown mounted silver stand clark helped draft city takeover code remains force carried british companies chaired sat committee represent creditors process clark worked attempted purchase news world beaten rival clark sued libel course bid friends clark retained banker clark chaired government position found frustrated secretary state industry decision ignore board advice found workers operative schemes struggling firms early 1970s clark decided resign stay try future bore ill asked join government committee future ailing car makers austin british agreed chair stop gap measure ended holding post year company strikes handed chair clark remained board member undertook discussions attempt increased bid bid later stopped public outcry inclusion clark chairman post hold february receiving honour queen buckingham palace director june following death sir subsequently director year terms beginning march march clark appointed chief executive officer hill samuel holding group chairman clark refused takeover convinced large compete facing hostile arranged takeover talks acquired clark director deputy chairman years boards companies holding later non family chairman served review body doctors trustee received honorary clark appointed vice chairman firm post held years chairman responsible refusing takeover bid accepting bought floated appointing clark board directors claimed offer clark appeal eyed bulgarian peasant clark claimed tried follow conventional business practices remained convinced close end asked unusual death november financial came light evidence unusual payments million mirror companies year fraud eventually cost company pension fund million clark claimed evidence directors act telling shareholders extraordinary general meeting system internal control elaborate stop fraudulent group individuals holding authority trust directors taken job thought stand said year ago clark position disputed determined non executive directors clark questioned payments clark lost usual nature accused rule confidence vote order mirror asked stay clean company chairman deputy chairman clark brought chief executive officer lord director rebuild company remained months fell clark said weakness big mistake clark eventually company left chairman founded investment bank remained director death raised stake partnered texas bank provide rest clark deputy chairman remained board chaired insurance broker personal life clark family lived years house surrey home designed clark described best investment clark keen antiquarian collecting old books keeping record read maintained interest sport opera having acted director collected bears having total including interested life clark vice chairman appeal contacted italian partisan helped tree war pair visited regularly clark died january
Robert Clark (businessman)