Pte 51997 James Dewar Clark

• Age: 22
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: III.E.17

James Dewar Clark was born on the 25^th November 1894 in Birkenhead and was the son of Alexander and Margaret (nee Young) Clark who were married on the 20^th June 1883 at St Paul, Birkenhead. James was baptised on 30th December, 1894 at St Mary’s Church, Birkenhead.  

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 11 Rowland Street, Birkenhead. His father, Alexander, is at sea, mother Margaret is aged 38, and she has three children were born in Birkenhead. James D. is aged 6, a scholar, Annie aged 3, and Alexander aged 1month.

He was educated at Beckwith Street Wesleyan School, Birkenhead. 

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at 11 Rowland Street. His father is again not present, his mother Margaret states that she is aged 48, and has been married for 27 years, and has had 4 children, 3 of whom have survived. She has three children declared in the household who were born in Birkenhead. James Dewar is aged 16, born 1895 occupation booking clerk, Annie aged 13, born 1898 and Alexander aged 10 born 1901 both at school. 

Prior to the war he had been employed as a Clerk at the Mersey Railway Booking Office. 

The 1914 Gores shows that James' father, Alexender, was a ship’s cook and explains him being missing on the 1901-1911 census returns. He is found on the crew list of the Quebec Steamship Co. S.S. Cascapedia out of Liverpool in 1889, he is the chief cook, born Leith, Scotland in 1858. In 1899 he gave an address 45 Ivy Street, Birkenhead. 

James enlisted in January 1916 in Birkenhead and was serving as a Private in the 10^th Battalion, (Scottish) Liverpool Regiment and he was transferred to the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 51997. He was killed in action on the 12th October 1916, aged 22,  during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

17^th Bn War Diary:  Battle of Transloy Ridge –                                               

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday.  Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16  - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak.  2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced.  Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful.  Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed,  5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds:

“As the whistle blew, the 17^th Battalion left its trenches to move forward.  […]  As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire.  […]  Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire.  As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.   The 17^th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets.  Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will.  It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners.  There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”

James now lies in Warlencourt British Cemetery, France.

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

Birkenhead News 1st Nov 1916 

CLARK - October 12^th, killed in action, aged 21 years, Private James D. Clark (K.L.R.), eldest and dearly beloved son of Mr and Mrs A. Clark, 11 Rowland Street, Birkenhead. 

Reported killed in the Birkenhead News 30^th Dec 1916 

Fallen In The War 

1. D. CLARKE(sic) K.L.R. 

Liverpool Daily Post 12^th Oct 1917 

CLARK - In loving memory of JAMES D. CLARK (K.L.R.), killed an action, October 12, 1916, aged 22 years. (Sadly missed by Mother, Sister and Brother, 11 Rowland Street, Birkenhead. 

Birkenhead News 11^th Oct 1919 

CLARK - In loving memory of JAMES D. CLARK (K.L.R.), killed an action, October 12, 1916. - Sadly missed by Mother, Alice and Nan, 11 Rowland Street.  

CLARK - In fond memory of J. D. CLARK (Jim), (K.L.R.), killed an action, October 12, 1916. “One of the best.” - Always remembered by his pals Edgar, Charlie and Mac. 

He is also commemorated on the Birkenhead War Memorial. He is also mentioned in De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Margaret. 

By the 1921 Census Margaret is widowed at 11 Rowland St, she died aged 68 in 1931 

Father Alexander is not found on the “Deaths At Sea”, the only UK death is recorded in Woolwich in 1911 aged 52 

We currently have no further information on James Dewar Clark, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.