Frederick Albert Clarke

A Private with the 1/6th Battalion, Frederick died on 28th of August 1917 at the age of 19. 

Frederick was born at Pakefield on 11 May 1898, a son of George and Annie Maria Clarke. In 1901 his family lived at Cole’s Farm, Carlton Colville. Frederick attended Cunningham School from 9 February 1903 and his family lived at Kessingland Road. By 1911 they were living at 14 Coronation Terrace, Fir Lane.

Frederick enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Northumberland Fusiliers, service number 32168. He was transferred to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, service number 29187, and posted to France to join the 1/6th Battalion. 

On 26 August 1917 the 1/6th Battalion moved into positions to the north and south of the St. Julian – Winnipeg Road, near Ypres, Belgium. At 1.55 p.m. on 27 August they began an attack with the enemy positions at Winnipeg Farm and the nearby cemetery as their objectives. An advance was made impossible due to the state of the ground and enemy machine-guns and snipers in concrete emplacements.

The battalion’s casualties were:
Officers: three killed, three wounded
Other ranks: 25 killed, 120 wounded, 14 missing

Frederick was reported missing and later presumed to have been killed in action on or since 28 August. In fact, this date is the date the battalion were relieved, and no casualties were recorded, hence it is most likely that Frederick had been killed in the attack on 27 August, but the fact that he was missing was not officially recorded until 28 August.