Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the elder son of William Arthur Clarke, a solicitor and his wife Ruth Lilian Clarke, born 1870 in Saxmundham, Suffolk, who was the daughter of Charles Bambridge Rendle a surgeon, born 1837 in Plymouth, Devon and his wife Elizabeth Helen, born 1846 in Tenerife, Spain and residing at Russell Road, Kensington, London. Ambrose Childs Clarke was born in 1896 in Devonport, Devon, in March 1901 he was residing at 103, Holland Road, Kensington, London, together with his mother, this being the home of his maternal grandparents, Charles and Elizabeth Rendle. In April 1911 Ambrose was a scholar and was residing as a boarder at 2, The College. Malvern, Worcestershire. Ambrose was educated at Stoneygate School, Leicester, King’s College Choir School, Cambridge and Malvern College. At the outbreak of war he was in camp with the Malvern College contingent of the O.T.C., and returned to Leicester, and received his commission two days afterwards on the 6th August 1914. He was killed in the trenches near Messines, Belgium on the 9th May 1915 during a heavy bombardment. The circumstances being that he was placing his men under cover, refusing to take shelter himself until all his men were out of danger, and he had just got his last men under cover when he was killed by a shell instantaneously. He was buried in what had formerly been “Packhorse Farm”, Wulverghem, Belgium at the back of the English lines near Bailleul. A brother officer who has since been killed wrote, “He honestly was one of the cheeriest, best, most capable and well loved officer’s in the Battalion, especially taking his age into consideration.”
The War Diary records: 9 May-15 - Just after midnight 5 grenades, possibly hand, arrived just short of E.1.L. A similar reply quietened them. Peaceful day. At 5.00pm our guns fired over E.1.R., but seemed to pitch well over, caught supports? Between 4.00 to 4.30pm just previous to this, British aeroplane brought down German plane, which nosed down into German lines. Between 6.45 to 7.17pm very heavy artillery fire on both sides. At 7.10pm G.2. mine exploded, rather livening matters up. 15 to 20 yards German parapet blown up according to report. About this time E.1.R. and L. bombarded. MESSINES 2500 yards bearing of 124° for ¼ hour “rapid”. This brought on heavy German rifle fire and some shelling. Major T. T. GRESSON slightly wounded when in E.1.L.9. Between 7.00 and 7.45pm one shrapnel in E.6. burst just absolutely right unfortunately, 10 casualties. 30 hand and 20 rifle grenades used. Most of former fell short, but latter got home or very near. E.1.R. certainly had Germans under this pm. 120 yards (Trench barbed wire) put up front (S. End) of E.2. running north by “B” Company party in 1¾ hours actual work. No casualties. Adjutant visited all trenches. Casualties, killed 2nd Lt A. C. CLARKE “A” Company shrapnel in E.6. about pm. No. 2039 Pte E. WALKER “C” Company. Wounded No. 1497 Pte A. HURST “C” Company, No. 2265 Pte L. ASTILL “C” Company, No. 3376 Pte E. A. SCRIVENS “C” Company, subsequently died on the 10th May 1915, No. 1765 Pte A. WESSON “B” Company, subsequently died on the 10th May 1915, No 2896 Pte W. BUDWORTH “D” Company, subsequently died on the 11th May 1915, No. 1573 Pte H. HILL “C” Company, No. 2473 Pte S. ROE “C” Company, No. 1925 Pte F. COLLETT “C” Company, No. 3104 Pte W. JOHNSON “C” Company, No 1886 Pte F. LOOMES “C” Company, No. 1357 Pte E. KILBOURNE “C” Company, No. 1273 L/Cpl S. DODGE “C” Company (Concussion shell in E.6.), No. 2318 Sgt G. BOLES “C” Company (Concussion shell in E.6) but remained at duty.
On Friday May 14th 1915 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “DISTRICT WAR ITEMS.” – LEICESTER OFFICER KILLED. – We regret to state that Lieut. Ambrose Childs Clarke, of the First 4th Leicester’s, elder son of Mr. W. A. Clarke, of the firm of Messrs. Harvey and Clarke, solicitors, Leicester, has been killed while in the trenches with his Battalion. The sad news was conveyed to the family in a letter by Mr. John G. Viggars from the headquarters of the Lincoln and Leicester Brigade, North Midland Division, from which it appears that Lieut. Clarke was killed on Sunday by a German shell, which burst just over the trench he was in, killing besides one of his men, and wounding ten others. He seems to have died instantaneously, and only one moment before he saved a man’s life-he was standing next to him-by ordering him to go to the other side of the trench. Mr. Viggars testifies that Lieut. Clarke was considered a very promising young officer. The deceased officer, who was only 18 years of age, was educated at Mr. G. E. Rudd’s Stoneygate School, and at Malvern College, where he was a member of the officers Training Corps. He left school in July last, going into camp. He joined the Army on war breaking out, and was gazetted Second Lieutenant in the First 4th Leicester’s on August 6th 1914. He went through training at Leicester, Luton and Bishop Stortford, leaving for the front with his battalion. The deepest sympathy will be felt with Mr. and Mrs. Clarke and family in the loss they have sustained.
On Saturday May 15th 1915 The Leicester Chronicle and Leicestershire Mercury published the following article under the heading. “BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.” – KILLED IN ACTION. CLARKE. – On Sunday, 9th May, in Belgium, Ambrose Childs Clarke, 2nd Lieutenant, 1/4th Leicestershire Regiment, aged 18 years, elder son of William Arthur and Ruth Lilian Clarke, of “The Homestead,” Manor Road, Leicester. ‘Dulce et decorum est pro patrie mori.’
On Saturday May 22nd 1915 The Leicester Chronicle and Leicestershire Mercury published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – 4th LEICESTERS FIGHTING HARD – TRENCH LOST AND RECOVERED – HEROIC COUNTER ATTACK – How Lieut. Clarke and Capt. Haylock Died. – It has been quite evident from the several recent intimations of casualties amongst them that the 1/4th Leicester Territorial’s are just now in the heart of the fighting zone. Since Sunday week two gallant officers have been killed and a number of men killed or wounded in the trench fighting, which has fallen to the lot of our Territorial’s, and we are able to give in the appended extracts from a letter sent by a Leicester lad, a graphic description of the incidents that gave rise to these casualties:- The Trenches, Monday May 10th. This is the last day of another spell here - we expect to be out tonight. We have had a fairly decent time - or, rather had, until last night, when we got quite a few casualties as the result of a bombardment. It was an evening of great excitement. First of all, about tea time, an aeroplane approached, and at first we could not distinguish its nationality, until we saw the black crosses when it got overhead (not very high), and then we started firing on it. However it quickly got a move on and was well away when, suddenly, from nowhere appeared a British biplane high above our heads. It set off in pursuit like lightning, and with a tremendous spurt got right over the Taube (a big machine), and played a Maxim on her. Immediately the German planed once round and dropped like a stone. The trenches rang with cheers when our machine came sailing back, and the Germans were very wild, and fired for all they were worth on her without result. More excitement followed, for not long after we blew up a mine under their trenches, started rapid fire, and we grenadiers threw grenades by the dozen. They expected an attack, and immediately shelled our supports vigorously, causing us some casualties; but when we ceased they did; as we had achieved our object by engaging them as a “blind” to a big move not far away. Poor Lieut. Clarke (who drilled us at the Magazine - you remember what a good voice he had) was killed instantaneously by a shell. Today is hot and sunny. We hear good news of British success – also of the torpedoing of the Lusitania and the imminent entrance of Italy. Tuesday May 11th. We got out safely after being relieved just before dawn, but not without fighting – the most exciting time we have yet had. The Germans attacked one of our trenches with bombs soon after midnight, killed several, including Captain Haylock, and took the trench for a short time. We rushed up supports, fired like madmen, got the artillery on, and made a counter-attack, and soon had the trench back. We had several casualties, and the Germans are said to have 53 dead in front of the trench, including one officer with half his head blown off. The relieving battalion who were on the way, rushed up, and we soon had more in support. But it was not as big an affair as we expected, unless we nipped it in the bud. We didn’t half rip their parapets down, and they must have suffered heavily. Lieutenant Russell got a bayonet wound in his neck and is now in hospital, but it is not serious. We bomb throwers were on the scene, but not needed though in any trouble the cry always is. “Where are the bomb throwers.” Our men were very excited and would have made a fine charge if called upon but such was not needed – the Germans soon hopped it. We are seeing life now!