James J. Clarke
Agency patch
Police Officer

James J. Clarke

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA
Accident
End of Watch February 11, 1941
Age 54
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
The Vigil Panel 77 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Clarke was killed along with a mother and her two daughters when an explosion ripped through four row homes on Greenwich Street near Passyunk Avenue. Officer Clarke was crushed by a falling wall as he rushed to help a family escape.

Survivors

He was survived by his three grown children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

26 years. You could have gone home.
Police Officer Clarke gave the Philadelphia Police Department 26 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Clarke.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA
Platform Identity ppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 11, 1941
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
Age 54
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

James is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1941, 68 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 54th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

James was 54. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. James had served 26 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

February holds 7.2% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Tuesdays: 14.1%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Philadelphia Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, James among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer James J. Clarke

Philadelphia Police Department · End of Watch February 11, 1941

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 31-W

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