He then served at Selfridge Field, Michigan and in June 1942, went to England as second in command of the 31st Fighter Group, the first American fighter unit in the European Theater of Operations. He was shot down over Abbeville, France, in July 1942 and was a prisoner of war at German prison camp Stalag Luft III until April 1945. He wrote about his experiences in Stalag Luft III in his book 33 Months as a POW in Stalag Luft III.[3] He was a manager of accumulation and hiding of supplies used in the 1944 breakout in which 76 POWs escaped.[4][5] That incident was documented in the 1950 Paul Brickhill book The Great Escape, and later was celebrated in the 1963 movie of the same title.
After World War II, he progressed through key staff assignments with Tactical Air Command, Continental Air Command and Air Defense Command prior to a tour of duty at Headquarters U.S. Air Force.
He was director of military personnel at Headquarters U.S. Air Force for four years beginning in 1959 and was then assigned to Okinawa as commander of the 313th Air Division.
In August 1965, Clark was named vice commander of the Tactical Air Command. He was also promoted to lieutenant general in 1965.[5] Clark assumed duties as commander of Air University in August 1968, and in August 1970, he was appointed superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Clark, Albert Patton (2005). 33 Months as a POW in Stalag Luft III: A World War II Airman Tells His Story. Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum. ISBN978-1-55591-536-0.
^"Class of 1936—Register of Graduates". Register of Graduates and Former Cadets 1802–1969 of the United States Military Academy. The West Point Alumni Foundation Inc. 1969. p. 460. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
^"Albert Patton Clark". Veterans Legacy Memorial. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved 2024-05-07.