Born in Newton Abbott, Devon, on 21 May 1909, Ronald Clements was the son of Frederick John Clements and Ruth Maud Clements (née Anthony).  In April 1911 the family were living at Ellacombe Church Road, Torquay, and Frederick Clements was listed as a general labourer.  By 1921, Ronald was living at Alexandra Road, Torquay with his parents, brother Sidney James (b 1910), sisters Norah Ruth (b 1913) and Margaret (born 1916) and brother James Anthony (b 1920). Ronald Clements was reported to be an Errand Boy.

He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2^nd Class on 5 August 1924 at HMS IMPREGNABLE, the training establishment for boys at Devonport, and signed on for a 12 year Continuous Service engagement from 21 May 1927. After completing his New Entry and Basic Training he joined HMS COLUMBINE, the Naval Base at Port Edgar on the Firth of Forth, on 13 June 1925.  On 2 December 1925 he was drafted to the battleship HMS THUNDERER and then to the battleship HMS RESOLUTION on 5 January 1926.  During his time in HMS RESOLUTION the ship visited Gibraltar, Majorca, the south of France, Malta, Alexandria in Egypt, Greece, Venice, Yugoslavia, Cyprus and Port Said before returning home to Devonport, in December 1926. Here Ronald was drafted to HMS VIVID (the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport) before rejoining HMS IMPREGNABLE on 10 January 1927 to complete his Boy’s training.

His next ship was the battleship HMS RAMILLIES which he probably joined at Chatham on 1 April 1927.  Advanced to Ordinary Seaman on 21 May 1927, he was onboard for a cruise around UK visiting Portland, Invergordon, Ballachulish, Campbeltown, Milford Haven, Portland, Sandown and Cowes on the Isle of Wight and Sheerness in Kent before arriving in Devonport on 11 September 1927.

Ronald next served ashore in HMS VIVID until 18 April 1928 when he returned to HMS COLUMBINE but this time for the destroyer HMS VIDETTE in which he served until 31 August 1928 when he was drafted HMS VIVID where he was further advanced to Able Seaman on 21 November 1928. On 15 January 1929 he was drafted to the cruiser HMS CALEDON based at Malta. The ship returned to Devonport for a refit from October 1929 to June 1930 and he left the ship on 31 July 1930 and once again joined HMS VIVID whilst awaiting his next sea draft.

On 19 September 1931, Able Seaman Clements was drafted to HMS DEFIANCE (the Torpedo School) at Devonport ‘for the Special Service Vessel HASTY’, a tender to HMS DEFIANCE and served there until 8 January 1932.  Remaining with HMS DEFIANCE he next joined the tug CONFIANCE on 16 February 1932, also a tender to HMS DEFIANCE, serving there until 4 March 1932.  He then completed his Seaman Torpedoman Course qualifying (ST) on 23 June 1932.

Able Seaman (ST) Ronald Clements joined submarines at HMS DOLPHIN at Gosport on 21 March 1933 ‘for the training course’ and then the Submarine Depot Ship HMS TITANIA on 2 August 1933 ‘for Submarine H32’ in which he served from 1 February 1934 to 8 March 1934.  Briefly rejoining HMS DOLPHIN he was then drafted to HMS CYCLOPS at Malta ‘for Submarine HMS OXLEY’ serving in that boat from 1 July 1934 to 30 June 1935. He served in the new HMS SHARK, at Malta, from 1 October 1935 to 2 August 1936 before returning to HMS DOLPHIN.  He next joined HMS PEMBROKE (the Royal Naval Barracks at Chatham) where he was advanced to Leading Seaman (ST) on 16 September 1936 and drafted to HMS SUNFISH from 22 September 1936 to 2 September 1938. He was then drafted to HMS DOLPHIN ‘Standing by Submarine HMS URSULA whilst completing at the Vickers Shipyard at Barrow in Furness’ in February 1938.  After commissioning on 20 December 1938, HMS URSULA was attached to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS TITANIA from 2 May 1939 to 20 May 1939 when Ronald Clements joined HMS DOLPHIN as his Continuous Service engagement had expired and he was ‘Discharged Shore’.

Ronald Clements then transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve, but, almost immediately, returned to Active Service from 30 June 1939 and served successively in HMS DOLPHIN, HMS H34, HMS TITANIA, HMS DOLPHIN and HMS ELFIN, the shore establishment at Blyth on 16 February 1940 and then in HMS SNAPPER although his date on joining the submarine is not known.  On 29 January 1941 HMS SNAPPER left her base for a war patrol in the Bay of Biscay and never returned. SNAPPER was declared overdue and was assumed to have been lost with all hands on or about 12 February 1941.

Ronald Clements is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Panel 45, Column 3.  His next of kin was his wife, Lilian Maude Clements (née Carpenter) whom he had married in Newton Abbott in the 1st Quarter of  1934 and who, at the time of his death, was living at Whatcombe, Devon.