From the Thorley
Archives
Four Sons of the First
World War
In 'We Will Remember Them' I described some of
the detailed notes that the Rector of Thorley, Canon J.E.I.
Procter, recorded in 1919 about the men of the parish who served
in the First World War. Since then many local people have been
able to add additional information to the original article so
that we now have a growing archive file about these servicemen.
Further research at the Hertford Record Office revealed a
February 1919 newspaper cutting about a Thorley family entitled:
'A Trooper's Death, Family's Heavy
War Losses'.
'General sorrow has been caused in Thorley by
the death on Tuesday, from pneumonia, of Trooper Joseph
Walter Clark, of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry, the fourth son
of Mr and Mrs James Albert Clark of Moor Hall Cottages,
Thorley. The deceased, who was in the Hertfordshire
Constabulary before joining the Army, had served abroad in
France, Egypt, Palestine and Syria and only returned last
week after an absence abroad of over two years. His eldest
brother, Major Charles Clark, M.C., of the Royal field
Artillery, was killed in action in France last April; and
another brother, Sergeant Albert James Clark, of the Army
Veterinary Corps, died last May. The coffin, wrapped in the
Union Jack, was carried into the church by a detachment of
the Hertfordshire Yeomanry …… who fired three
volleys over the grave ……… The grave was lined
with evergreens.'
105748 L.CPL. J.W. Clark's headstone, maintained by the Commonwealth
War Graves Commission, is to be found in the mid southern section of the
churchyard. John Fuller recorded complete details of the grave in our churchyard
survey in August. Mr and Mrs Clark's fourth son, Sergeant William Clark, survived
the war.
Of the 99 servicemen listed in Canon Procter's
notebook 20 lost their lives. All are commemorated on the church
war memorial in the nave. The following biographies of the four
Clark brothers are from Canon Procter's notes, with photographs
again supplied by Geoffrey Harris.
Bill Hardy
November 2001
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Albert James Clark
Sergeant
Army Veterinary Corps
Joined the Army on
April 6th 1915.
Went to France in
October 1915.
Died of consumption at Kennington on
May 28th 1918
Aged 27 years.
Before joining the Army he was in the Metropolitan Police.
Home address, Moor Hall Cottages
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Charles
Clark
Major, M.C.
295th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
When war broke out he was in India, having joined the Royal
Horse Artillery in 1902 at the age of 16 and held the rank
of Sergeant. He returned to England in January 1915 and
received a commission in the Royal Horse Artillery and went
to Gallipoli on April 25th 1915.
Here he won the Military Cross for fixing wires and getting
a message to Headquarters some time before the next message
got through. He was the first to land and almost the last
to leave at the evacuation of the Peninsula. Subsequently
he went to France, where he was made Lieutenant, and later
he was promoted to Captain. Only a few weeks before his
death he was promoted to the rank of Major.
He was killed in action at Bienvilliers-au-Bois on April
25th 1918.
Home address, Moor Hall Cottages
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Joseph
Walter Clark
Lance Corporal
B. Squadron, Hertfordshire Yeomanry
Joined the Army in June 1915
Went to Egypt in October 1915 and then to France. Early
in 1917 he went to Egypt and thence to Palestine and Syria.
Returned home on February 4th 1919
and died of pneumonia following influenza on
February 11th 1919
aged 24 years.
Died at his home in Thorley and was buried with military
honours in Thorley Churchyard.
Before joining the Army
he was with the Hertfordshire Constabulary.
Home address, Moor Hall Cottages
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William Clark
Sergeant
2nd Batt. Hertfordshire Regiment
He was in the Hertfordshire Regiment before the outbreak of
War and was mobilised at once. On the formation of the 2nd Batt.
he was transferred into it from the 1st Batt. He was discharged
on April 4th 1916, having served his time. Before the War he
was employed as stockman by Mr F. Newman of Moor Hall.
Home address, Clay Lane
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