Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John Edward Clarke a farm labourer, born 1867 in Wymeswold, Leics., and his wife Mary, born 1867 in Wymeswold, Leics. John Edward was born in 1898 in Wymeswold, Leics., his siblings were, William, born 1892, Harriett Hannah, born 1894, Eliza, born 1897 and Samuel Blount Clarke, born 1901, all his siblings were born in Wymeswold, Leics., in March 1901 the family home was at Brook Street, Wymeswold, Leics. In April 1911 John was a scholar and was residing in the family home at East Street, Wymeswold, Leics., together with his parents and siblings, Eliza, Samuel, Thomas, born 1905 and Charles, born 1910, the latter two siblings were born in Wymeswold, Leics. The War Diary entry for the 22nd, 23rd and 24th May 1917 records. RED MILL, ANGRES. This has proved to be a four days tour and was similar to the previous tour in these trenches. The enemy continued to be very active with trench mortar shells and the night of the 24th May attempted a small raid on our right post which was rather an isolated one. He was stopped by our Lewis gun fire. On the early morning of the 25th May some orange lights of the enemy apparently produced a trial barrage, this did us no damage.