Source: File: Private (Acting Corporal)
Leo Clarke. See an original
image at Governor General's
Foot Guards: <http://footguards.ca/victoria-cross/private-acting-corporal-leo-clarke/>
[Accessed
28 October 2016]
To view Leo Clarke's War Records go to:<http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/100-stories/Pages/clarke-leo.aspx>
To view Leo Clarke's War Records go to:<http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/100-stories/Pages/clarke-leo.aspx>
Amid citations of
latest fifteen VCs were
To number four
privates; Clarke, Jones
Hughes and Kerr
as advised in a London
Gazette
supplement - a private from
The Connaught
Rangers, two with Canadian
Infantry and
another from a Cheshire Regt.
From Hamilton
Ontario Lionel, Leo, Clarke
Gave his attestation
within six months
Of war - 25
February 1915 from where
He then lived; 785
Pine Street Winnipeg
Manitoba, a
Canadian Prairie Province;
Clarke worked as a construction engineer.
Known as Leo, he
joined with the Canadian
Infantry 27th
Battalion - they sailed from
Quebec on S.S.
Carpathia 17th May 1915.
By 6 August
Private Clarke was to become
An acting Corporal -
whose purpose was
To groom likely
candidates to promotion.
In France by September,
Clarke moved
To the 2
Battalion by October - to gain
A wound during
December - but back
To duty short days
later aged 23; by then
Of average height
5ft 7 1/2, grey green
Eyes and dark
brown hair, weight 156 lbs.
Acting Corporal
(Private) Leo Clarke
No. 73132,
advanced into the line close
To Pozieres -
Saturday 9 September
1916, the move of
1, 2 and 3 companies
Were covered by a
bombardment
Of artillery shelling
Germans; 16:45 p.m.
The bombardment
lacked any effective
Result and Germans
easily took back
Every lost position - German gunnery
Retaliated - focusing
fire on advancing
Canadians companies
- 1 and 3 were
Pinned down, as
no 2 gained objective.
In the trapped
centre, company action
By Lt. Pringle
charged a machine gun -
Following him the
company pushed out
Into fierce close fighting of bombs and
Bayonets - Sgt. Nicholls
with bombers
Shot forward across to
German trenches.
In starting to
build a block, using wood
And barbed wire
rolls, the small number
Went to clear the
Germans out - taking
Action they made
good destruction, until
A counter attack
of two officers leading
20 Germans, leaving many casualties.
Seeing what was
happening Cpl. Clarke
Assisted by
Private Soppitt held them,
As Clarke began
to make a barricade -
Now the Germans
rushed him - Clarke
Emptied a
revolver at them to quickly
Refill - still they
came - he fired again.
With fate of
Soppitt unknown, the first
German to reach
Clarke then sliced
His leg with a
bayonet, to be shot dead
By him - the
Germans then turned about
Starting to
retreat - Clarke had gained
A German rifle
and another, firing at them.
Roused into fury
and forgetting any
Feelings of his
wound, Cpl. Leo Clarke
Shot dead another
four fleeing figures -
As fifth one
tumbled he pulled him up,
Leading him back
as prisoner - finally
Ordered to go to
a dressing station.
Despite this Leo
was back the next
Day - Clarke
settled down into daily
Routine, but with
his exploit known,
Acting Corporal
Leo Clarke 73132
Was recommended a
Victoria Cross
For bravery -
awarded posthumously.
In his action of
defence Clarke had
Killed nineteen of
the Germans
That charged -
just a month later
He was again in
trenches, involved
In Thiepval
fighting - the battalions
Orders to secure
capture of Regina.
Regina trench
stretched from Le Sars
Village to Stuff
Redoubt - Leo Clarke
Taking shelter
in a funk hole at rear
Of a trench, with heavy shelling raking
The ground - one
shell hit close by
Him, causing the
trench to collapse.
In same battalion his brother, Charles
Clarke, hurried over to Leo's rescue
Clarke, hurried over to Leo's rescue
And worked to dig
him out - with help
He was taken to No
1 General Hospital.
The extent of his
injuries quickly became
Apparent - Leo Clarke
was paralysed.
At Etretat he was
diagnosed paraplegia;
The weight of the
earth having crushed
His back, damaging his spine - on the day
18 October the notes
of Major Nicholson
Stated how Leo
Clarke arrived there,
11 p.m.
transported their by No. 22 train.
All his lower
limbs were paralysed, to add
How Leo answered
their questions with
Difficulty - 'restless,
weak and groaning.'
Yet into the
early hours of 19 October
He slept for a
time, talking and restless.
By morning he was
tinged by cyanosis.
In the light of
day symptoms provided
Evidence from his
deterioration, he had
Only hours - Corporal
Leo Clarke died
At 11 a.m. a report
described enlarged
Spleen, his lungs
dark and congealed;
Finally, he lay at rest by Etretat church.
Finally, he lay at rest by Etretat church.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1916. Fifteen
New V.C's. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 27 October 1916. P.8. Col.7. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213502/Daily-Telegraph-October-27-1916.html>
[Accessed: 28 October 2016].
Source: File: Leo Clarke. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Clarke>
[Accessed 28 October 2016]
Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 28 October 2016).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1medal
