Name
William Charles Clark
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/10/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
41742
Lincolnshire Regiment
8th Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 35 to 37 and 162 to 162A.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Stevenage Old Town Memorial, St Nicholas' Church Memorial, Stevenage Old Town, Holy Trinity Church Memorial Roll of Honour, Stevenage Old Town, Not on the Walkern memorials
Pre War
Born in Islington (Unknown Date), he was baptised on 19 Jun 1898 at St Saviour, Islington. William appears to have moved to Stevenage at a young age. In the 1901 census, aged 3, he is shown in Stevenage (undisclosed address), his father Percy John is registered as a house painter, his mother, Emily, cared for the 4 children; William, Percy, Edith and Ada.
In the 1911 census aged 12, his address is registered at 55 Walkern Road, Stevenage where he is working as a “School Newsboy Part Time”.
Wartime Service
William is shown as having enlisted in Hitchin and as his Medal Card shows assigned to the Norfolk Regiment with the Regimental Number ‘30417’, before being transferred to 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment.
On October 10th, Battalion diaries report simply “Heavily shelled in waves, heavy casualties”. We can only assume that William was among the fallen. He is remembered (With Honour) at TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Panel 35 to 37 and 162 to 162A, Belgium.
Additional Information
After his death £3 14s 5d pay owing was authorised to go to his father on 13 February 1918, then a further 3s 8d was authorised on 9 April 1918. Later, a war gratuity of £3 was authorised to be paid to him on 5 November 1919.
His pension cards record his mother, as his next of kin, living at 55 Walkern Road, Stevenage. She was awarded a pension of 6s a week from 7 May 1918. However, after her death the pension records were change to his father at 208 Ashcroft Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds.
*1 Date of death. The CWGC records currently give his date of death as 10 September 1917, however the SDITGW, his pension and Soldiers Effects records all give 10 October 1917. In addition, the Battalions' war diary suggests that 10/9 was a quiet day of marching pulled back from action, whereas 10/10 records heavy shelling and casualties. For these reasons we believe the 10 October to be the correct date of death.
Acknowledgments
Harry Hughes
Jonty Wild
