No.5189, Lance Sergeant, John CLARKE
Aged 31
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John Clarke was born in Hawkedon (3rd qtr 1884 Sudbury 4a:) son of David and Mary Ann CLARKE (née SUTTLE)
1891 census...Aged 6, he was at Hawkedon with his father David CLARKE [56] farm labourer; his mother Mary Ann [45] born Poslingford; brothers Daniel [17] farm labourer and Frederick [9]; sister Ada [13]. All except his mother were born in Hawkedon. 1901 census...Aged 16, a farm labourer, he was at the Green, Hawkedon with his parents, sister Ada and brother Fred (garden labourer). He married Florence E CLARKE in Bury St.Edmunds in 1910 1911 census...Aged 26, a horsekeeper on farm, he was at Cook's Lane, Brockley with his wife Florence [23] born Rede, and daughter Kathleen Dora [22-1-1911] born Brockley. His wife died on 13th August 1912. On the pension card the guardian for his daughter Kathleen was his sister Ada Emma now Mrs JOHNSON of 44 Melford Terrace, Thetford. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds
The 8th East Surreys reached the outskirts of Montauban and had set up HQ in Mine Alley in the old German front line. It was the infamous 1st day of the Somme when over 20,000 of our men were killed. Most war diaries are understandably a bit vague but the East Surreys have a very detailed AND TYPEWRITTEN war diary for that period. click here to go to the battalion war diary
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
