Name
William Clark (*1)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/07/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
25328
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BEDFORD HOUSE CEMETERY
Enclosure No.4 II. CI. 3.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Markyate memorials
Pre War
William Clark was born in 1897 in Caddington to Simeon Clark, carter, and Elizabeth (nee Keen).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, William and Hilda M (born 1900) together with brother in law Harry Keen were living at Woodside, Caddington. Simeon and Harry were carters of road stone.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents, William, Hilda and Florence (Florrie born 1902 were living at Slip End, Caddington where father Simeon was now a farmer.
SDITGW records William as born in Markyate, was living in Slip End, Bedfordshire when he enlisted in Bedford(*1)
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for William. He William enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 25328 probably some time in 1915 and was posted to 2nd Bedfords in the British Expeditionary Force, sometime in 1916 and may have taken part with them in the Battles of the Somme, including Albert (1-13 Jul), Bazentin (15-17 Jul), High Wood.(20-25 Jul), Delville Wood (15 Jul-3 Sep )and Guillemont (3-6 Sep) , In 1917 the Division took part in Operations on the Ancre (11 jan-13 Mar), following up the German Retreat to the Hindenberg Line (14 Mar-5 Apr), The Battle of Arras (9 Apr-15 May) before transferring to the Ypres Sector to take part in the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele, 31 Jul -10 Nov).
William was killed in action on 26 Jul 1917 in the period of activity prior to this last major engagement.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of 36 10s and arrears of £3 2s 9d was paid to his father.
*1 The information given here is taken from the Soldiers Died in the Great War Database, but that has no service number listed. The CWGC records do not confirm these details. However there is a Walter Clark who died 4/9/1916. He had a service number of 43028 and was in the 2nd Bn, so it seems likley that this is the correct man.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
