Edward Clarke
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Edward Clarke was born in Nottingham 1875, the son of John and Annie Clarke. On 22 March 1887, he married Martha Carter at Nottingham Register Office. For several years into their marriage, Martha worked at home making lace products by hand. Their first born child in 1898 was named after his father, Edward, and by 1901 they were living at 106 Carlton Road Nottingham. They had more children over the following years, Eliza born 22/4/1903, Rose Ellen 17/3/1906, Jane 31/12/1907, Elizabeth 22/5/1913 and John 25/7/1915 who died at the age of 8 months of pneumonia. In 1911 they lived at 1 Scotland Yard, Nottingham.
When the war came, both Edward junior and senior joined the Army. Edward senior was considered too old at 40 for the infantry so enlisted with the Army Service Corps as a M.T. driver. Pte. Edward Clarke, 648th Motor Transport Company Army Service Corps, died of dysentery at No. 2 South African General Hospital, Dar-es-Salaam on 8th February 1918. He is buried in Dar-es-Salaam War Cemetery. He enlisted at Nottingham on 27th September 1915; his eight month-old son, John Clarke, died less than a month later on 24th October 1915. He landed in France on 18th March 1916, with 649th Motor Transport Company, attached 66 Siege Battery, but retuned to the U.K. suffering from chronic bronchitis, being admitted to Carrington Military Hospital, Nottingham, on 28th October 1916, staying there until 5th December 1916. He was afterwards granted nine days' home leave until 14th December 1916. He left Devonport for East Africa on 9th March 1917, arriving at Dar-es-Salaam on 30th May 1917. Taken on the strength of 648th Motor Transport Company on 1st August 1917, he was working as a storeman attached to the Motor Transport Spare Parts Depot when he was admitted to No. 2 South African General Hospital on 23rd January 1918, where he died at 6.20 a.m. on 8th February 1918.
His eldest son (b. 18th October 1897), Pte. Edward Clarke, M.M., [1] 15th Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment, was killed in action on 25th August 1917. He is buried in Templeux-le-Guerard British Cemetery. [1] 'London Gazette,' 2nd November 1917.
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