| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
William Henry Clarke also known as Harry Hayes served in the Boer War in South Africa and was awarded the South Africa Medal. He was possibly in the 3rd Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment. He was a reservist and was called back to the colours at the start of the First World War. On 8 Sep 1914 he embarked for France and arrived at St Nazaire on the 9th, going south on the 11th to Aisne where they took part in the actions that stopped the German advance. William was now a private in the 1st Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment and went missing in early Oct in the Armentieres area.
The Beverley Guardian 2 Jan 1915 noted that William had been “severely wounded” but the truth was that he was missing in action. It was nearly two years later that the Hull Daily Mail said that he had been reported wounded and missing but that news had now been received that he had been killed in action on 18 Oct 1914. His army medal cards say that he was “presumed dead” so his body may never have been recovered. He is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial in Belgium.
Very little precise information on his date of birth or location can be found on William’s early life but it is possible that he was born in Hull in the early 1880s. He was living in Northgate, Cottingham in the summer of 1914 and before embarking for France he was married. His new wife was Frances Lawson from the Newland area of Hull whose father worked in a tannery. Frances was to remarry in the summer of 1918 and as Mrs. F Lamb, received William’s medals
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |