Name
Joseph Charles Clark
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/03/1918
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Gunner
22182
Royal Field Artillery
87th Battery, 2nd Brigade
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 1.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hunsdon War Memorial, St Dunstan’s Church Memorial Plaque, Hunsdon, Not on the Much Hadham memorials
Pre War
Born in 1885, in Much Hadham, to parents Joseph and Sarah, he had three brothers and one sister and in 1891 they were living in the Old Bell Inn in Much Hadham, his father was an agricultural labourer.
In 1901 Joseph was living in the Fox and Hounds, Hunsdon and was listed as a servant, working as a barman. By 1911 he was working in the Hertfordshire County Asylum, Hill End, St Albans, as an asylum attendant. He married Margaret P Bull shortly after this census was taken.
Enlisted at Hertford.
Wartime Service
Joined the Royal Field Artillery, 40th Brigade which comprised 6th, 23rd and 49th Batteries and were attached to the 3rd Division.
They arrived in France on 19th August 1914. They then took part in the battle for Mons and Le Cateau, in 1915 they fought at Hooge and Bellewaarde. In May 1916 the brigade was joined by the 130 (Howitzer) Battery. They then fought on the Somme at Bazetin, Delville Wood and the Ancre, before moving onto Flanders in 1917 and taking part in the battles for The Menin Road and Polygon Wood during the Third Battle for Ypres. They were then moved south again taking part in the Battle of Cambrai.
On March 21st, 1918 the Brigade was part of the British Third Army that was surprised by the German offensive, Operation Michael, they were situated near St Quentin and were partly destroyed by the German bombardment beginning at about 04.40, it was on this day that Joseph died and his body not recovered.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Jonty Wild, Terry & Glenis Collins
