| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Sydney James Clark was born 9 May 1898, Princes Gardens, Beverley, the son of Fred Clark, a wood carver, and his wife Mercy Marie (nee Fenby). He was baptised at Beverley Minster 5 Jun 1898. Sydney had two siblings, Florence and Harold, also born in Beverley.
In May 1914, Sydney celebrated his sixteenth birthday. Three months later on 23 Aug 1914, and just three weeks after war was declared, Sydney presented himself at the Recruiting Office in Hull and volunteered for service abroad. He enlisted in the 2nd/3rd Northumbrian Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps (Territorial Force) and his medical papers show him to be of the "apparent age of nineteen years". He embarked at Southampton on S.S. Viper for France, and arrived at Rouen on 28 May 1915 and was posted to 50 (1st Northumbrian) Casualty Clearing Station.
The Beverley Guardian 25 Dec 1915 published a photograph of Sydney - "Pte J.H. Clark, grandson of Mrs Fenby, 28 Cherry Tree Lane, Beverley." The initials in the caption were incorrect, so it was fortunate his photograph appeared alongside two of Mrs Fenby's sons, namely Sydney's uncles, Paul Henry Fenby, also of the Royal Army Medical Corps and David Fenby, of the 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment.
Sydney served with 50 Casualty Clearing Station throughout his war service. He was based at Hazebrouck and then Mont des Cats until Mar 1918. As the war progressed 50 C.C.S. changed location to Roye (south-west of Peronne), Tincourt (east of Peronne) and Bohain (north-east of St Quentin). The unit subsequently ended up in Huy, about 40 miles south-east of Brussels in Belgium, in Jan 1919. Sydney James Clark returned to England and was discharged from active service on 16 Jun 1919. He resumed his Territorial obligation until 21 Mar 1920 when he was released with "very good character".
After demobilisation Sydney was employed in the grocery trade. In 1922 he married Annie Gertrude Clark at Williamson Street Methodist Church, Hull. At the time of the 1939 Registration Sydney and Annie were living at 50 Rensburg Street, Hull and he was the manager of a grocer's shop.
Annie died aged 59, in Hull in 1959. Sydney of 13 Jesmond Gardens, Hull died on 2 Jun 1973. He was aged seventy-five.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |