CLEMENTS, Harry


No.43357, Private, Harry Sidney CLEMENTS
Aged 19


2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Formerly 24253, Bedfordshire Regiment
Killed in Action on Monday, 13th November 1916

Harry Clements was born in Fulbourn (Chesterton Q2-1897 3B:447) son of James W. and Ellen Ann CLEMENTS (née RULE).

1901 census...Aged 3, he was at Highfield Gate, Fulbourn with his father James W. CLEMENTS [46] a blacksmith born in Fulbourn; his mother Ellen Ann [34] born in Fulbourn, and brothers James R.W. [12] born in Exning and Percy C. [8] born in Fulbourn.

1911 census...Aged 13, a farm labourer, he was at 5 Carlton Grange Cottages, Carlton, with his parents ( father now a carpenter) and brother Percy (farm labourer)


He enlisted in Cambridge.
Prior to 13th November 1916 the weather had been exceedingly wet and the area around Serre was waterlogged. After several postponements, at 5 am on the 13th they attacked, floundering forward into No Man's Land, a sea of mud in which movement was barely possible After 45 minutes though the attack proper began. mist was thickened by the smoke from the barrage and made direction very difficult. very quickly all the officers in the leading companies fell and leaderless, no real progress was made. In spite of this some portions of the leading Suffolk companies did manage to reach the German 2nd line, but all in vain. The battalion re-organised on its original front line, remaining there for the rest of the day before marching back to Courcelles the next morning.

They had suffered 272 casualties of which 82 were killed.



Harry Clements is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France. pier and face 1C & 2A

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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