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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

William Edward Clare - West Yorkshire Regiment


Guest chelingar

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Guest chelingar

I am trying to find out about my grandfather's time in WW1.

He was originally born in Cockermouth but moved to Leeds, living on All Saint's Terrace.

Presumably this is why he joined the West Yorkshire Regiment.

I have his medals and have found his medal card which shows him as Private Clare, no: 16386

I know that he fought at Ypres and the Somme.

However, my mother remembers him mentioning being a R.S.M and she played with his

stick.

Sadly i cannnot discover anything else and, like many soldiers, he spoke little about his time abroad.

If anyone has any information they could add I would be hugely grateful.

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Cheryl

Here is his Medal Index Card.

post-9-1214312877.jpg

The date of entry would put him in the 1st or 2nd Battalion of the West Yorks.

His enlistment date would be 28/11/1914 give or take one day, so he would of spent the four months in basic training before his posting to the 1st or 2nd Battalion in France.

Follow this link and it will give you some info re the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the West Yorks http://www.1914-1918.net/westyorks.htm.

Regards Kevin

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I have very similar dates of entry for men going to France as replacements for men lost in the battle of Neuve Chapelle (10th March 1915 and subsequent days) for one of the battalions I research in 8th Division, so I would suggest that the 2nd battalion is statistically more likely.

What needs to be done, Cheryl, is referring to the Medal Rolls for the Victory/British War Medal using the reference "O/2/104 B12, page 1449" on the Medal Index Card to look up his first overseas battalion in the medal roll ledgers stored at the National Archives at Kew. These will need to be looked at on site, as they are not online.

Steve.

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Cheryl

WO329/903 contains the original medal roll for Pte WE CLARKE of 2 West Yorkshire Regt. I have a digipic of the roll. If you want it please send e-mail add. by PM.

2 WYR War Diary is in WO95/1714 but I had no time left to look in that !

Sotonmate

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