Harry Clarke
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Harry was the only son of John and Emma Clarke (née Young). His father John was born in Carlton, Nottingham, in 1853, the son of Thomas Clarke (also Clark) and his wife Mary Ann (née Burton, m. 1853). John had two siblings, Mary Ann (m. 1880, Beardsley) and Herbert, and the family lived at Freeman’s Terrace, off Burton road, Carlton. His mother Emma Young was born in Canterbury, Kent, in about 1858. John and Emma were married in 1881 (reg. Canterbury) and had two children who were born in Carlton, Harriet b. 1882 and Harry birth registered 1884 (J/F/M). Although it seems that John and Emma lived in the Carlton area immediately after their marriage, they were living in Canterbury between 1891 and 1911, at Hollow Lane in 1891 and at 5 Elham Valley Terrace in 1901 and 1911. Both Harriet and Harry had married and left home by 1911 but John, a labourer at a limekiln, and Emma now had an adopted son, Leonard Hood (6, b. Canterbury). John died in 1915 (reg. Canterbury). His widow and adopted son were still living in Canterbury in 1921. Harry married Edith Harriet (b. 1884, Stanford Kent) in 1910 (reg. O/N/D Wandsworth) and they had a daughter, Emily Ruth, in January 1912. In 1911, the year before their daughter's birth, Harry, a sergeant in the Grenadier Guards, and his wife were living at 5 Guards Terrace, Caterham, Surrey. They were probably in married quarters at or near Caterham Barracks, a depot for the footguards regiments. His widow was awarded a pension of 23 shillings 9 pence for herself and their child. The pension record gave Edith's address as 116 Gatliff Buildings, Pimlico [London], but the later CWGC record gave her address as Crag, Wildboar Clough, Macclesfield.
2nd Bn. Grenadier Guards The 2nd Battalion was stationed at Chelsea Barracks, London, on the outbreak of war and landed in France on 13 August 1914 as part of the 4th (Guards) Brigade, 2nd Division. Harry Clarke joined the army after 1901 and by 1911 held the rank of sergeant. One military record gave his ranks as Company Quarter Master Sergeant and then Acting Warrant Officer Class 2. Harry was killed in action on 17 May 1915 at Festubert. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, France (Panel 2). The Memorial is located in the Le Touret Military Cemetery. He qualified for the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of the Le Touret Memorial (extract): 'The Le Touret Memorial commemorates over 13,400 British soldiers who were killed in this sector of the Western Front from the beginning of October 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos in late September 1915 and who have no known grave ... Almost all of the men commemorated on the Memorial served with regular or territorial regiments from across the United Kingdom and were killed in actions that took place along a section of the front line that stretched from Estaires in the north to Grenay in the south. This part of the Western Front was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the first year of the war, including the battles of La Bassée (10 October – 2 November 1914), Neuve Chapelle (10 – 12 March 1915), Aubers Ridge (9 – 10 May 1915), and Festubert (15 – 25 May 1915).' (www.cwgc.org)
This man was not previously identified, but the report from the Beeston Gazette & Echo below makes a likely identification of him as Company Sergeant Major Harry Clarke, Grenadier Guards. Beeston Gazette & Echo, 26 June 1915: ‘Killed in France. We have pleasure in publishing a photograph this week of Private A Beardsley, who was killed in action at Le Epinnette, France, on May 16th. It was in September last that Beardsley threw down his shovel as a fireman connected with the Colwick GNR Loco., and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment. He was quickly sent to the front, and had the misfortune on May 16th, to be shot through the head, death being instantaneous. He was buried behind the trenches. Had Private Beardsley lived until September next he would have been 28 years of age. His mother [Mary Ann Beardsley née Clarke] resides at 54, Chandos street, Netherfield, and his widow [Eliza] in Wallet Street. He leaves two children, both being girls, the elder of whom is only five years of age. A sad feature of the incident is that Private Beardsley’s cousin, also a native of Netherfield, was killed the following day at Festubert. His name is Company Sergeant Major Harry Clarke, of the Grenadier Guards. He was 31 years of age, and was born in Freeman’s Terrace, off Burton road, Carlton, although his parents [John and Emma Clarke] left this district several years ago and went to Canterbury where they now reside.' (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Note: 13787 Private Arthur Beardsley, 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment, is also commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial. (See record on this Roll of Honour) CWGC Additional information: 'Son of the late John Clarke, of Canterbury; husband of Edith H. Clarke, of Crag, Wildboarclough, Macclesfield.'
