After the death of my wife's parents, surname CLARKE, we found a handwritten diary detailing the writers involvemnt in WW1 from enlisting on 08/08/1914 as a Foreman Artificer with 51 Company ASC, being immediately promoted to Mechanical Staff Sergeant,embarking in France on 20/08/1914, moving to HQ No. 1 Section in September 1914 and then entering Belgium. He was involved in repairing vehicles & moving ammunition. The book ceases in December 1914. The CLARKE family were Blacksmiths by trade from the Manchester Area, but no family record shows anyone to be the writer, but the book returned to the Uk and was hidden in personal possessions. Where do I go next ?
Results 1 to 6 of 6
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25-01-2022, 1:56 PM #1
- Join Date
- Jan 2022
- Location
- Lancashire, England
- Posts
- 2
FOREMAN ARTIFICER/MECHANICAL SERGEANT WW1
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25-01-2022, 2:33 PM #2
Does the book include the writer's service number(s)? Forenames? They sometimes had more than one because the system changed in mid-war. Also if they changed regiments, their number also changed.
If you haven't done it already, it might also be useful to research his parents, siblings and maybe even grandparents, to find out which Clarke men were of the right sort of age to be the author.
When my G-Uncle was killed in the Anglo-Boer war, his possessions were returned to his mother.
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25-01-2022, 3:16 PM #3
- Join Date
- Jan 2022
- Location
- Lancashire, England
- Posts
- 2
Afternoon, the book contains no personal details, I have researched and believe that it will be a member of my wife's 'grand parents family' all born 1860-1885 as 'great grand parents' died pre WW1 however none of the male side of the family who were all blacksmiths show up as serving in WW1 but all survived the war. As the writer joined as an 'Foreman Articer' who would have been skilled, that's why I have tried the 'blacksmith' route but then promoted 'Mechanical staff Sergeant'.
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25-01-2022, 3:32 PM #4
There were many kinds of blacksmith (one in my one place study was repairing bicycles). Men of the right age would have had to serve unless of a reserved occupation. I don't know whether smithing was reserved. Of course, he could just have been a friend in the trenches.
Were their cousins also smiths?
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25-01-2022, 6:49 PM #5
Because the book finishes in December 1914 I wondered whether the writer was killed in Dec 1914, January 1915 so I started searching on the CWGC site (which I don't find as user friendly as it once was} Using the surname Clarke, WW1, army, United Kingdom, there were over 2000 results but on hitting the Refine Results button it lists them from 1914 onwards.
The only one so far in the ASC is a W J Clarke buried in France but was in the 169th company. You know the first names so it would be easier searching for you to see if you recognise anyone.
ChristinaSometimes paranoia is just having all the facts.
William Burroughs
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25-01-2022, 8:34 PM #6
- Join Date
- Feb 2018
- Location
- England
- Posts
- 1,456
I don't think anyone enlisting on 8 Aug would be sent abroad on 20th unless they were in the reserves having already been discharged from earlier service. Does it definitely say 'enlisted'?
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