Name
Harold Edward (Edward Harold) Clark
12 Sep 1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/05/1915
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
8787
Lincolnshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL
Panel 3.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, Not on the Whitwell memorials
Pre War
Harold Edward Clark was born on 12 Sep 1891 in Whitwell, St Paul's Walden, Herts, the son of Albert Clark (watercress labourer) and Emma (nee Tarrier) and Harold was baptised at St Paul's Walden on 3 Jan 1892. He was one of three children
Although registered and baptised as Harold Edward, at some point the names were reversed and he became Edward Harold. He was so named on the 1901 Census when the family of parents, Elsie (born 1891), Edward, and Kathleen (born 1900) together with John Clark (Edward’s grandfather), were living at Mill Lane, Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire where his father was working as a watercress grower.
By the 1911 Census Edward had enlisted into the Army sometime in 1909 and was living in barracks in Portsmouth, Hampshire, serving as a Private 8787 in the 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. His normal length of Service would be 7 years with the colours and 5 years on Reserve, No Service record was found for Edward.
At the 1911 Census his parents and his sisters Elsie, (Kathleen) Mary were at 6 Devon Terrace, Brampton Park Road, Hitchin, Herts. He served in Gibraltar and Bermuda between 1912 and 1914.
His parents' address was later given as ‘Dundee’, 22 Brampton Park Road, Hitchin.
Wartime Service
Edward was serving with the 2nd Battalion in Bermuda when war was declared and the Battalion returned to England on 3 Oct 1914 via Halifax, Nova Scotia. After re-equipment & training they then proceeded to France via Le Havre, landing on 5/6 November 1914, joining 25th Brigade, 8th Division of IV Corps in the 1st Army. The division took part in the battle of Neuve Chapelle (10-13 Mar 1915) attacking an enemy salient. Despite success on the first day in capturing the village, the Germans reinforced their positions and little progress was made thereafter.
At the battle of Aubers (9 May 1915) which followed on from Neuve Capelle, the attack was designed as a two pincer movement, 25 brigade being part of the northern pincer, 2nd Lincs were in support but were ordered forward around 6.30 am following the stalling of the initial attack. They were to cross ground cratered from artillery at Rouge Banes near Fromelles but received heavy casualties for little success. It was "done with great dash and gallantry" but they could simply not advance in the face of scythe-like machine-gun fire. The Battalion lost 8 officers and 258 other ranks that day. The Battle was called off the next day with most troops being able to retire from their isolated positions during the night. Harold was reported killed in this action on 9 May 1915. He has no known grave, but is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing in Belgium. This is contained as part of the Royal Berkshire Cemetery Extension, 1km north of Ploegsteert.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £5 and pay owing of £13 8s 5d. Pension cards exist but give no indication of the amount of any pension received.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
David C Baines, Jonty Wild
