Name
Francis Clarke
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
06/05/1916
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
12812
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DOULLENS COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION NO.1
II. C. 1.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hertingfordbury Village Memorial Church of St Mary and St John Church Roll of Honour, Hertingfordbury Hertford Town Memorial Christchurch Plaque, now in Holy Trinity Church, Bengeo, Birch Green School
Pre War
Born 1892 in Hertingfordbury son of Frederick and Agnes (Bitten) Clarke, of 6, Birch Green, Hertford.
In 1901 they were living at the same address and his father was a carman at estate works. They were still there on 1911 when and his father was a jobbing gardener and Francis a domestic garden boy. He had four brothers and one sister May Marion.
Wartime Service
Joined up at Hertford in 1915 and was posted to France in July, where most of the battalion were sent to Locre, where they stayed until August before moving on to Orville and then Foncquevillers. They stayed there for the rest of the year but by December the trenches were flooded and there were cases of frost bite.
In May he was with the Battalion at Monchy-au-Bois in the trenches and the battalion moved to Bienvilliers where they were stationed on 4th May when the enemy fired a very heavy artillery bombardment followed by a raiding party, during which the battalion suffered 66 casualties and 8 men missing. One of these was Francis who died of wounds two days later. There was a large Casualty Clearing station in Doullens where he was buried.
Additional Information
Brother of Harry Albert Clarke died 3 May 1917 and probably the brother of Arthur John Clarke died 17 Feb 1917 both also listed on these same memorials.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Terry & Glenis Collins
