Pte 51785 Stanley Wilkins Clarke

• Age: 22
• From: Manchester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 21st March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

Stanley Wilkins Clarke was born on  25th February 1896 in Manchester, the only child of John Clarke and his wife Mary (nee Dutton) who married on the 26th December 1894 at Holy Trinity Church, Hulme. Stanley was baptised in in the same church on 26th April 1896, his parents’ residence given as 52 Vine Street, Openshaw, and his father’s occupation as engine driver.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 40 Harcourt Street, Stretford. His father, John, aged 36, is a railway engine driver born in Greenheys, Lancashire, and his wife Mary aged 40 born in Longdendale, Cheshire and she has no occupation listed. They have one son Stanley W. aged 5 born in Openshaw, and Mary's sister, Ellen Dutton, 51 is staying with them.

Stanley attended Gorse Hill School.

The 1911 Census the family are still living at 40 Harcourt Street, Gorse Hill, Stretford. His father, James, is now aged 46, and is a railway engineman, his wife, Mary, is aged 50 with no occupation listed. They advised that they have been married for 15 years and have the one son Stanley Wilkins who is aged 15, and employed as an office boy for a coal merchant. Mary's sister Ellen Dutton now aged 61 is still living with them.

Before the war Stanley worked for the Great Central Railway at the Locomotive, Carriage, and Wagon Department at Trafford Park.

He enlisted in Manchester joining the Manchester Regiment as Private 4749. He was transferred to the 13th Bn. K.L.R. before being posted to France . He was later transferred to the 20th Battalion K.L.R. It is likely that he was transferred to the 18th Bn when the 20th was disbanded in February 1918. The amount of the War Gratuity suggests he served for 26 months, enlisting in December 1915 or January 1916.

He was serving in ‘B’ Company, 12th Platoon of the 18^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 51785 when he was killed in action on the 21st^h March, 1918, aged 22, during the German Spring Offensive. 

The Battalion Diary gives an insight into the chaotic events of the day

28^th March

At about 6am the enemy commenced to shell heavily the whole of the forward line and brought Trench Mortars and MACHINE Guns into action.

FOLIES was shelled and the area in the rear of the village as far back as LE QUESNEL.

Rations were received at dawn and parties were organised to carry them to the Companies on the right. Owing to the heavy fire, however, it was not possible to get them up.

Heavy fighting was in progress on the right from soon after dawn and at 8am the enemy was reported to be in possession of BOUCHOIR and progressing towards the BEETROOT FACTORY. About 10am  the 59^th Infy Brigade was notified that it was relieved by the French and the Battalions of that Brigade were at once withdrawn in the direction of LE QUESNEL.

At noon the enemy was bombarding the village and vicinity heavily and reports were received that he was in occupation of WARVILLERS on the left and ARVILLERS on the right.

The front line East of FOLIES continued to resist until about 2pm when the order was received from the 89^th Infy Brigade to the effect that the Battalions were relieved by the French and would withdraw at once to MEZIERES, where the men would be fed. Companies withdrew under some shelling and very heavy M.G. and rifle fire from the left , through K10 -K3 – North side LE QUESNEL to the main ROYE road and reorganised about D.29 c. The march from this point was conducted in good order despite the congested roads.

At MEZIERES it was decided to continue a rearward movement and the march was resumed via VILLERS-MOREUIL – MORISEL – ROUVREL, which village was reached about 7pm and the Battalion billeted. The men had marched 13 miles from the left position in good order and with practically no straggling. They were exhausted on arrival at ROUVREL, but in good heart.

Echelon ‘A’ of the Transport joined the Battalion at this village and the men were fed immediately on arrival. The night passed without incident.  

Stanley's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial in France.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

Stanley was initially declared Missing between 21-28 March 1918. 

His anxious family placed a notice in the Manchester Evening News on 02nd May 1918:

MISSING

The relatives of the undermentioned soldiers would be grateful for any news concerning them:-

Pte W.(?) Clarke (51785) Kings Liverpool's, missing since March 21 - J. Clarke 40 Harcourt Street,Gorse Hill, Stretford.

His father contacted the International Red Cross but was notified on the 03rd June 1918 that they held no information on Stanley. 

Shockingly, his parents waited 17 months before receiving definite news:

They placed notices in the Manchester Evening News on 27th August 1919:

“In loving memory of our dear son, Private Stanley W. Clarke, 51785, 18th King’s Liverpool Reg’t., reported missing March 21, 1918, now reported killed on that date. Sadly missed by his Father and Mother, 40 Harcourt Street, Gorse Hill, Stretford.”

“In loving memory of Private S. W. Clarke, reported missing March 21, 1918, now reported killed on that date. What happy hours we once enjoyed. From his chum, still serving in Mesopotamia. - D. Salt.”

His death was also recorded as follows:

Following Russia's late 1917 collapse into revolution, Germany was able to build a large numerical superiority on the Western Front. Well aware of this, the British knew that an onslught was coming, but where and when? Devastatingly, beginning on March 21st 1918, the Kaiserschlacht fell on the Somme front, where the severely overstretched 5th Army had just taken over an ill-prepared sector of the line from the French. On the fog-shrouded opening day of the offensive alone, nearly 15,000 British soldiers died, including former Trafford Park Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Dept. clerk Private Stanley Wilkins Clarke, of the 18th (Lancashire Hussars) Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment, the 22 year old son of John and Mary Clarke of 40 Harcourt Street, Gorse Hill, Stretford, Manchester. Even by Great War standards the proportion of the dead from this Battle with no known grave was abnormally high, Stanley Clarke among them. He is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Panel 21-23.   

His father received his Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £12.  A pension card has not been found.

Stanley is commemorated on the following memorials - 

Stretford Cenotaph

Great Central Railway Memorial, Sheffield

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