Private John William Clarke
| Date of Birth | c1888 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 38 |
| Date of Death | 31/08/1916 |
| Service Number | 22653, 13 |
| Military Service | |
| Merton Address | |
| Local Memorial | Baptist Church, Morden |
Additional Information
William John Clarke born in 1880 in Lambeth Surrey was the son of John William Clarke, a labourer
.
0n the 15th May 1904, he married Ann Norah Cain at the Parish Church in Southwark
.
At the time of the 1911 Census, the couple had been married for 6 years; he was employed as a cold store labourer with 3 children
He re-enlisted 14th August 1914 in the East Surrey Regiment, by then he was living in Lambeth at 36 Gt Eastern Street Stratford, East London.
He describes his occupation as an ex-serviceman.
His eyes were grey brown, height 5ft 5ins, weight 146lbs
.
Clarke received injuries to his back and left elbow when he was hit by shell fragments on 23/7/1915 while he was in France and spent 46 days in hospital before being discharged as fit for duty. He was given 1 week’s leave which he spent at 36 at Eastern Street Stratford, East London.
He was promoted on 12/11/1915 and promoted again to Lce/sgt at Suez on 20/1/1916. He resigns his rank and reverts back to being a private but not to escape a trial by Court Martial at Suez on 28/1/11916 for failure to comply with an order by riding on a motor bus without permission.
His service record then shows a letter from his sister Mrs A Masterson on 18/4/1916 enquiring about her brother’s whereabouts as he had not been in contact for 3 months. By then he was back to being a private Jack W. Clarke of the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.
Private John William Clarke was killed in action 31st August 1916.
John William Clarke left a widow Ann Norah Clarke and 4 children
His personal effects were returned to Mrs Clarke who was living in Walworth in December 1916 and she later moved to Westminster Bridge Road Lambeth by 30th August 1919.
Mrs Clarke was awarded a widows pension of 22s-6d by 12/3/1917 and a plaque or ‘Widows Penny 23/6/1919
History Information
Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery was started by French troops in 1914 and was taken over by Commonwealth forces in April 1915. It was used by fighting units and field ambulances until June 1917, when the land adjoining the cemetery was claimed for a military railway preventing further extension. The cemetery is remarkable for the care with which men of the same unit were buried side by side if they died at about the same time. There is also a very high proportion of graves of Territorial units, in particular Lancashire Territorials, who have nearly 250 graves in plots IV, V and VI. During the early months of 1917, whenever it was possible, the 55th Division brought their dead from the front for burial here. The cemetery now contains 1,175 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. The French graves were removed after the war, but three German war graves remain.