Name
Jack Clements
1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/10/1914
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
CH/12014
Royal Marine Light Infantry
H.M.S. "Hawke."
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Navy Star, British War Medal and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
7
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Baldock Town Memorial, St Mary the Virgin Church Memorial, Baldock
Pre War
Jack Clements was born in 1884 in Weston, Baldock, Hertfordshire, the son of John and Hetty Clements, and baptised on 13 April 1884 in Baldock.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Weston, nr Baldock where his father was working as a carman. His father died in 1900 and on the 1901 census his widowed mother and brothers William, George, Thomas and Herbert were living at Clark's Lane, Weston, Baldock. Jack was not living with them as he had enlisted on 15 January 1901 to serve with the Royal Marine Light Infantry, Chatham Division. He gave his date of birth as 18 September 1882, which is believed to be incorrect. On the 1911 Census he was listed as a Private serving on HMS Bacchante, an armoured cruiser with the Mediterranean fleet, which was in Malta on the night of 2 April.
Wartime Service
Jack was already serving with the Royal Navy as a Private with the Royal Marine Light Infantry at the outbreak of war.
On 15 October 1914 he was on board the 7,350 ton Cruiser HMS Hawke in the North Sea, which was on patrol with other vessels of the 10th Cruiser Squadron off the Scottish east coast. Hawke stopped at 9.30 am to pick up mail from another vessel, but as it hastened to catch up with the other ships it was hit by a single torpedo from the German submarine U9. It is believed 524 officers and men died. HMS Swift sailed from Scapa Flow and found a raft carrying one officer and twenty one men and a Norwegian steamer picked up a further forty-nine survivors.
Jack Clements was one of the first servicemen from North Hertfordshire to be killed in the war. His body was not recovered for burial and his name is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent.
Additional Information
Jack gave the name of his older brother Frederick Clements of Seaton House Gardens, Ickham, Nr Canterbury, Kent as his next of kin.
N.B. his date of birth on naval records was given as 13 September 1882. He may have said he was older to be allowed to enlist.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson, www.westernfrontassociation.com
