Died when on leave to get married
THROUGHOUT the centenary of the First World War, we have been remembering the soldiers from the Loughborough area who lost their lives while serving their country. Here, with the help of Marigold Cleeve and a small number of researchers from the Loughborough Carillon Tower and War Memorial Museum, we look back at more of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in August 1918.
Alfred George Fletcher was born in Loughborough in 1885.
He was the son of George Richard Fletcher, a carpenter and joiner, and his wife Annie Elizabeth (née Levers) who were married at the Baptist Chapel in Baxtergate, Loughborough, on 9th October 1883.
Alfred had one brother Wilfred and one sister Ada. Another brother Richard died, aged nine, in 1896.
In 1891 the Fletcher family lived at 5 Canal Bank, Bridge Street, Loughborough. They later moved to 27 Shakespeare Street and then to 49 William Street.
When Alfred left school he started work at the local Rates Office as rate collector’s clerk.
In 1910, after seven years in this position, he was appointed Assistant Rate Collector at the Municipal Offices in Kingston-onThames, Surrey, and took lodgings at 91 Richmond Road, Kingston-on-Thames, with the Roberts family.
When war broke out Alfred enlisted at Twickenham, Middlesex, on 9th September 1914. He had previously served for three years in the Territorial Army.
He joined the 8th Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment) as Private R/798 but was only with them for a short time.
On 4th December 1914 he was transferred to the Home Counties Division Signals Company, Royal Engineers, as Sapper 1326 (later renumbered as 538218) and sent to Brighton.
Alfred was sent to France on 16th January 1915 with the 28th Division Signals Company of the Royal Engineers and on 6th March 1915 was officially confirmed as one of their ranks.
The Royal Engineers carried out a number of different roles for the army both in the battlefield and along the lines of communication. The various specialisms were organised into different types of units.
These units were attached to Divisions, or to larger formations at Corps, Army or even GHQ. The main ones were the Field Companies and the Signals Companies.
As they were attached to the fighting portions of the Divisions, these Companies often saw action and took part in the fighting.
The Signals Companies were responsible for all forms of signalling; visual, telegraph, telephone, signal despatch and later wireless communications from HQ down to Brigades, and for artillery communications down to Batteries.
Throughout most of the Great War the primary means of communications were visual, telegraph and despatch by runner, horseback or motorcycle.
The main types of visual signalling were flags, lamps and lights, and the heliograph. Although visual signalling was generally unsuitable for trench warfare because the operator had to show himself, it had an important communications role, particularly where the Army was moving too quickly to establish a telephone network.
By the outbreak of WWI the Army had a small number of wireless sets. These were mainly spark transmitters which operated on long wave and were cumbersome, heavy and unreliable.
In 1915 trench sets were involved on the western front but were not a great success, partly because the enemy could easily overhear the messages. In 1914 the Royal Flying Corps began to use Marconi transmitters to direct artillery fire.
These fitted into an aircraft and sent Morse signals to be picked up on the ground.
When Alfred officially joined the 28th Division Signals Company in March 1915 the company was repairing communication lines damaged by shell-fire south of the Ypres Canal. They next moved a wireless listening station to Ypres.
During this time Alfred was promoted to Acting Lance Corporal. In April a wireless listening station was moved to Potijze, extra lines were laid to Poperinghe and Wieltze and two air lines constructed to Verlorenhoek.
Between 22nd April and 10th May, during the 2nd Battle of Ypres, the company was constantly busy repairing lines to the brigades and messages were sent by despatch riders.
For part of his time in France Alfred is known to have been a despatch rider.
During the latter part of May the company was fully occupied in the area of Watou, Winizeele, Herzeele and Proven.
From June to September the company was based firstly at Westoutre and then at Dranoutre for work between Locre, La Clytte and Kemmel. In late September the company marched to Béthune to open lines to Sailly, Noyelles and Annequin and in early October they completed work at Busnes and Le Quesnoy.
On 19th October 1915 the 28th Division Signals Company was ordered to prepare to sail, with the Division, for the Mediterranean. On 21st October the Signals Company entrained for Marseille and on arrival marched to camp at Parc de Borely.
After the Signals Company arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, it was ordered with the 28th Division to Salonika and completed its disembarkation there on 4th January 1916.
Anglo-French forces had begun landing at the Greek port of Salonika in October 1915. The troops were sent to provide military assistance to the Serbs who had recently been attacked by combined German, Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian armies.
The intervention came too late to save Serbia and, after a brief winter campaign in severe weather conditions on the Serbian frontier, the Anglo-French forces found themselves back at Salonika.
At this point the British advised that the troops be withdrawn. However, the French - with Russian, Italian and Serbian backing - still believed something of strategic importance could be gained in the Balkans.
During the first four months of 1916 the British Salonika Force redoubled its efforts to prevent Bulgaria invading Greece.
Large amounts of barbed wire were used and a bastion about eight miles north of the city was created connecting with the Vardar marshes to the west, and the lake defences of Langaza and Beshik to the east, and so to the Gulf of Orfano and the Aegean Sea.
After preparing the port of Salonika for defence, the troops moved up country and dug-in.
Further Allied contingents of Serbian, Italian and Russian troops arrived in the summer and offensive operations began.
The Bulgarian attempt at invasion of Greece in July was repulsed near Lake Doiran.
At the beginning of October 1916 the British, in co-operation with her allies on other parts of the front, began operations on the River Struma towards Serres.
The 28th Division was in action during the occupation of Mazirko and the capture of Barakli Jum’a in October 1916.
The campaign was successful with the capture of the Rupell Pass and advances to within a few miles of Serres. In November 1916 Monastir fell to Franco-Serb forces.
A second offensive began during the spring of 1917, in which the Division took part in the First Battle of Doiran (24th-25th April and 8th-9th May). This made little impression, however, on the Bulgarian defences.
On 3rd October 1917 Alfred was promoted to the position of 2nd Corporal.
Alfred returned to the UK in August 1918, having been transferred to the Royal Engineers Signal Section Training Centre at Bedford on 20th August.
He was simultaneously granted a period of 21 days leave in order to get married on 26th August.
The day after he reached Loughborough, however, he suffered an attack of malaria and he died at his parents’ home, aged 32, on 29th August from malaria and enteric fever.
Alfred was buried in Loughborough Cemetery, Grave 2/95.
His coffin was covered with the Union Jack, and by the side of the hearse walked four wounded soldiers.
There were many floral tributes.
Alfred is remembered on the war memorial at Baxtergate Baptist Church and on the Carillon. Henry Marriott.
Henry Marriott was born in Loughborough on 9th January 1876 and baptised on 2nd April 1876.
He was the son of John Marriott and his wife Hannah (née Mimack, or Mimmack) who were married at the Church of St. Peter at Gowts, Lincoln, on 4th May 1857.
Henry’s father was originally a farm worker in Doddington, Lincolnshire, but later on he became a milk seller in Loughborough.
Henry had one brother Joseph and two sisters Rhoda and Fanny. He also had a half-sister Mary Ann, born in the Lincoln Workhouse before his mother married John Marriott.
By 1875 the Marriott family had left Doddington and was living at 75 Freehold Street in Loughborough.
By the early 1890s Henry was lodging at 147 Plodder Lane, Bolton, Lancashire, and working as a labourer for a Mr. Bridge.
On 18th April 1893 he attested at Bury to join the 3rd ( Territorial) Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers. He served as Private 9527 with them from 18th April 1893 to 28th July 1894.
In 1894 Henry returned to Loughborough and settled at 8 Albert Terrace, High Street, Loughborough.
On 23rd November 1899 Henry attested again, this time at Loughborough, to join the Leicestershire Regiment. Curiously he did not declare his previous service with the Lancashire Fusiliers.
Now aged 23, still a labourer and with a tattooed cross on his left arm, he was sent to the Leicester Depot at Glen Parva and numbered as Private 5609.
He was following the example set by his older brother Joseph who served with the Leicestershire Regiment and with the South Wales Borderers in Nova Scotia, Jamaica, Egypt and South Africa.
On 4th February 1901 Henry was posted to the 2nd Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment and sent to the garrison in Egypt.
On 31st January 1903 he was transferred to the 1st Battalion and posted to Fort St. George, Madras, India, at a time when the Raj was at the height of its power.
Henry remained in India for over four years, returning to England on 9th November 1907 and transferring to Army Reserve. He was twice awarded a Good Conduct Badge.
In late 1907 Henry married Emma Joynes in Loughborough, whom he had met through his sister Fanny who had married Herbert Joynes, Emma’s brother.
On 2nd January 1908 Henry and Emma emigrated to Canada, sailing from Liverpool to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the SS Dominion. In Canada they took up residence at 198 Queen Street, Campbellford, Northumberland County, Ontario. Henry was employed as a carpenter and labourer and their son Lawrence Herbert was born on 15th August 1912.
Henry enlisted at Campbellford to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 28th September 1916 and joined the 235th Battalion as Private 1027387. He embarked on the SS Megantic at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 3rd May 1917.
He arrived at Liverpool on 14th May and proceeded to West Sandling Camp, near
Saltwood, Kent. He was immediately transferred to the 3rd Canadian Reserve Battalion and appointed an Acting Corporal.
On 19th June he was transferred to the 134th Battalion, reverted to the rank of Private, and sent to Witley Camp in Surrey.
On 6th March 1918 Henry was posted to the Canadian Base Depot in Etaples and sent to France. Five days later he left Etaples for the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp at Aubin Saint-Vaast and on 23rd March joined the 3rd Battalion (Central Ontario Regiment) of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the field at the Bois de Froissart near Hersin.
After several days of physical training and one day ‘Standing to’ the battalion moved by bus to Mondicourt and on to Dainville.
On 30th March they went into support near Beaurains and then into the front line until 4th April.
Between 5th and 9th April the battalion moved from Dainville to Villers-au-Bois and on to Louez. From 12th-28th April they were in the front and support lines in the Fampoux section, after which they moved to billets in Maroeuil and provided working parties on a trench south of Anzin.
The first days of May were spent at Maroeuil and Le Pendu and included instruction in wiring and games of football and baseball.
The battalion then moved to Izel-lès-Hameau for further training (range firing, Lewis gun classes, signalling and attack practice) until 18th May. There was also a boxing tournament and the YMCA put on a cinema show.
On 15th and 16th May the battalion took part at Ambrines in practice for a brigade tactical scheme. On 19th they returned to Louez for trench digging on the Arras West line and the men enjoyed bathing in the River Scarpe. May concluded with a battalion concert party, a flat oar being used as a stage.
During June and the first part of July the battalion was based at Caucourt, in the area of Chelers and Magnicourt, and at Marne Camp, Agnez-lès-Duisans.
During this time there were practices in tactical schemes, a rehearsal of night manoeuvres in the Berthonsart training area and Divisional sports at Tinques.
Towards the end of June a flu epidemic broke out and on 29th June eighty-five cases were recorded, including the Commanding Officer. On Dominion Day (1st July) training was cancelled and the Duke of Connaught and numerous French generals attended a parade accompanied by the Brigade band.
On 8th July began working on defence systems at Brunehaut Farm and between 12th and 15th July moved up to the front line by bus. During this trench tour they completed wiring
and carried out numerous patrols on the enemy positions and were shelled by the enemy. On 18th July they moved back to Stirling Camp on the railway embankment and then to ‘Y’ Hutments.
On 23rd July the battalion moved by train from Maroeuil to the area of Neuville-Vitasse and went into the front and support line on the following day.
On 26th July the enemy dropped 600 Yellow Cross mustard gas shells on the front followed by trench mortars, scoring several direct hits. Relieved on the last day of July the battalion moved back to Berneville by bus, marched to Warlus and embussed for Beaufort.
On 4th August they entrained at Petit Houvin for Rambures and travelled by bus to Boves Wood, south-east of Amiens.
On 6th August they were ordered to move up to the Bois de Gentelles as soon as it was dark.
The Battle of Amiens, also known as the 3rd Battle of Picardy began on 8th August and was the opening phase of the Allies’ Hundred Days Offensive. It was a decisive Allied victory and a turning point in the war but it cost the 3rd Battalion numerous casualties in the action at Rouvroy-en-Santerre.
For two weeks after the battle the battalion rested and underwent training at Folies before entraining at Prouzel for Tinques and travelling by bus to Dainville.
On 27th August the battalion initially moved to assembly positions in the Telegraph Hill area, east of Beaurains, but this position was subsequently changed in preparation for an attack on the Drocourt-Quéant line.
Henry was killed in action, aged 42, on 30th August 1918.
He was buried in Valley Cemetery, Vis-en-Artois, Grave A. 10.
Henry is remembered on the Campbellford War
Memorial, Ontario, and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Hilary Calvert Clarke.
Hilary Calvert Clarke was born in Loughborough in early 1896 and baptised at All Saints Church, Loughborough, on 10th March 1896.
He was the son of John Clarke and his wife Constance Annie (née Merryweather) who were married at St Peter’s Church, Mountsorrel, on 1st November 1881.
Hilary’s father worked at Messrs. Clarke and Son, Dyers, Devonshire Square, Loughborough, a family firm founded by Hilary’s grandfather Thomas Clarke.
Hilary had one older brother Alan and one older sister Olive.
Between 1896 and 1901 the Clarke family lived at 29 Burton Street, Loughborough, and employed a governess and two servants.
By 1908 they had moved to West Hayes, Chaveney Road, Quorn.
After Hilary’s father died on 14th September 1916 Hilary’s mother moved with Alan and Olive firstly to The White House, Woodhouse Eaves, and then to Inglewood, Tempest Road, Birstall, Leicestershire.
Hilary attended Loughborough Grammar School from September 1904 to December 1907 and then became a boarder at Bishops Stortford College, Hertfordshire.
On leaving school he spent some time at Leverkusen and Elberfield, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, studying the dyeing industry with a view to entering the family business.
On his return home he briefly joined his father and brother in the firm and also became assistant scoutmaster with one of the local troops until war broke out.
Hilary inherited his mother’s musical talent and was an able pianist and organist.
The Loughborough Herald of 22nd January 1914
reported on a musical comedy performance in Quorn Village Hall and said: ‘During the evening pianoforte duets were played by Mrs Clarke and Mr Hilary Clarke’.
Hilary’s sister Olive was also musical and a professional violinist.
Hilary enlisted in September 1914 with the 21st University and Public Schools (UPS) Battalion. He was initially sent to Epsom, Surrey and moved to Ashtead in October 1914.
Trench digging was practised at Caterham and Woldingham in January 1915. In February 1915 he moved into a brand new camp at Woodcote Park, Epsom.
Once men of the UPS had entered camp they became Royal Fusiliers forming the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st (Service) Battalions.
Hilary was now Private PS/2550 in the 21st (Service) Battalion (4th Public Schools) of the Royal Fusiliers.
As well as exercising in Woodcote Park they also used Epsom Downs, Headley Heath and the surrounding countryside in order to attain a level of efficiency that would allow them to go to war.
In June 1915 the battalion moved to Clipstone Camp, near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, as part of the 98th Brigade, 33rd Division.
The battalion then moved to Tidworth, Salisbury Plain, on 8th August 1915 and was sent to France on 14th November 1915.
After concentrating at Morbecque with the 33rd Division the battalion moved to Béthune and was sent to learn the skills of real trench warfare in the area around La Bassée Canal.
Between November 1915 and April 1916 Hilary was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal. Hilary officially left the Royal Fusiliers on 23rd April 1916, having returned to England in March 1916 to join an Officer Cadet Unit and prepare for a commission.
Upon passing through the course Hilary was commissioned on 4th September 1916 as Temporary 2nd Lieutenant with the Machine Gun Corps. Hilary would have then been trained at Grantham before being sent to France.
If Hilary was with the 31st Division of the Army in 1917 he would have been involved in Operations on the Ancre, the 3rd Battle of the Scarpe and the Capture of Oppy Wood (all phases of the Arras Offensive).
Precise details of his movements between September 1916 and March 1918 should be recorded in his service papers at the National Archives, Kew. (Unfortunately Officers service papers from WW1 are currently unavailable online.)
It is known, however, that on 1st March 1918 Hilary, now a Lieutenant, was with A Coy of the newly-formed 31st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps, at Roberts Camp, Roclincourt, north of Arras.
On 3rd March the battalion marched to La Comte for reorganisation, inspections and training. On 7th March the Commanding Officer held a session on elementary map problems with Hilary and other Officers from A Coy and from 10th-16th March Hilary and three Ordinary Ranks attended XIII Corps Gas School. On 22nd March the battalion moved to the Hamelincourt area, with A and D Coys in hutments at Hendecourt.
On 23rd March the guns of A Coy obtained some excellent targets which were engaged with successfully.
On 24th March A Coy positioned itself on a ridge east of the railway embankment overlooking Ervillers but in the evening was withdrawn to a ridge west of the embankment as the enemy had entered Ervillers.
On 25th March A Coy was withdrawn again to a ridge in part of Adinfer overlooking Ayette. On 27th March, after the enemy opened a heavy bombardment around Ayette the battalion began moving to Pommier. From there on 1st and 2nd April they marched via Grouchy to Liencourt, proceeded by bus to Diéval and marched to La Comté.
At La Comté the battalion was able to rest until 9th April.
On 10th April they moved by bus to NeufBerquin and on the following day began a three-day trench tour at Pradelles.
After a break at Morbecque they were ordered to man the Hazebrouck defences at Hondeghem, but found there was a shortage of rounds for the guns. They also suffered four gas attacks by the enemy.
Relieved on 27th April they returned to Hondeghem for training until 9th May.
Back in the line from 10th23rd May they experienced another gas attack and heavy enemy shelling.
From 23rd May until 19th June the battalion was mostly at Blaringhem for sports, training and inspections. While they were at Blaringhem there was a major outbreak of influenza and the camp set up an isolation centre.
On 20th June A, B and C Coys moved up to a staging area south of the Bois des Huit Rues, but on 21st June an officer who was carrying a map with all machine gun locations was captured by the Germans. This meant that all guns had to be moved.
On 22nd June the battalion therefore took over the West Hazebrouck line and Le Peuplier switch, with Battalion HQ at Cinq Rues.
After several successful operations at the end of June the Division gradually moved forward. After further advances the battalion HQ moved to Wallon-Cappel on 9th August.
From 11th-17th August the battalion was much occupied with night firing and on 19th, after a joint attack on Berquin and Outerstein, a further Allied advance was made.
On 31st August 1918, during an attack on enemy-held territory, a shell fell near A Coy and inflicted a severe wound above Hilary’s left thigh.
He died, aged 22, as he was being carried to the rear.
Hilary was buried on 1st September in Meteren Military Cemetery, Grave II. E. 154.
Hilary’s Major wrote to his family deeply regretting his death and offering the sympathy of the officers, N.C.O.s, and men of the regiment. Hilary’s batman Private Warburton, wrote: I think he was the bravest man I have ever seen, and the boys of his section are of the same opinion.
“Our one consolation is that he is now free from all pain and the hardship and trials of this terrible war (which we still have to bear) and that he has gone to the better land where there is no pain nor suffering, but everlasting peace.”
Hilary is commemorated on the memorials at Quorn and Woodhouse Eaves, on Loughborough Grammar School Memorial and on the Carillon.