Lt I H S CLARKE 57th Wilde's Rifles

[koyli]

Hello All,

I'm looking for information on :

CLARKE, IAN HAY STEUART

Initials: I H S

Nationality: Indian

Rank: Lieutenant

Regiment/Service: 57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier Force)

Age: 25

Date of Death: between 29/10/1914 and 02/11/1914

Additional information: Son of the late Hastings A. Clarke, D.L., J.P., and of R. Eleanor Clarke, of Achareidh, Nairn.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 1A and 2.

Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

I only have the above and the relevant pages of the regimental history.

There is no MIC on him online. I presume records of Indian Army Officers are kept in India.

I'm looking for any other information on this man end possibly a photograph of him.

Cheers

KOYLI.

[Terry Denham]

I believe some Indian Army records have been available at the NA since 2001.

Also, India Office records are at the British Library http://www.bl.uk/collections/orientaloffice.html

This includes service records.

[koyli]

Hello Terry,

Thank you for that info.

I will be looking into that next week when I'm the in UK.

Cheers

Koyli.

[Terry Denham]

The relevant reference at the British Library - from their website....

"Service records

Most of the service records for European Officers are listed in a number of published compilations which are shelved in the Asian & African Studies reading room reference section (Ref: OIR 354 - 358). For details of the compilations, see I.A. Baxter India Office Library and Records: A Brief Guide to Biographical Sources. For officers of the Bengal Army 1758-1834, see V.C.P. Hodson, List of the Officers of the Bengal Army, 4 vols (London, 1927-1947)."

[Stebie9173]

From the London Gazette:

LG 8-9-1908

UNATTACHED LIST FOR INDIAN ARMY.

The undermentioned gentlemen Cadets from The Royal Military College to be Second Lieutenants with a view to their appointment to the Indian Army. Dated 9th September, 1908.—

Ian Hay Steuart Clarke.

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveVi...;selHonourType=

LG 3-5-1910

INDIAN ARMY.

To be Second Lieutenants.

Ian Hay Steuart Clarke. Dated 11th December, 1909.

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveVi...;selHonourType=

LG 20-1-1911

India Office,

January 20, 1911.

The KING has approved of the following promotions of officers of the Indian Army and Indian Subordinate Medical Department: —.

INDIAN ARMY.

Second Lieutenants to be Lieutenants.

Dated 9th December, 1910.

Ian Hay Steuart Clarke, 57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier Force).

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveVi...;selHonourType=

Steve.

[jmoha]

There is mention of a Lt Clarke, Wildes Rifles, pg 58 "Sepoys in the Trenches" by Gordon Corrigan. Not much detail but puts into perspective the action he was killed in.

[koyli]

Terry, Steve and Jmoha,

Delighted with your replies.

Terry,

Thank you for giving me the references on a plate.

Steve,

Thank you for the links to the London gazette. I hadn't thought of that.

Jmoha,

I have the book but never thought of looking for a reference to him. Great.

I thought I had hit a dead end and now with the information you three have supplied I have a real chance of finding out even more.

Thanks again

KOYLI.

[Matthew B.]

KOYLI,

I have to sound a word of warning abou the indian army officers papers at the British Library. As he is a casualty his papers will NOT be their. They were returned to his family - this was the procedure. I have been through the papers on few occasions - my interest is in the Indian Army - and as a rule of thumb if he was a regular officer and left the Indian Army before 1930 his papers will not exist. After that date you have a chance but it's far from complete.

The papers at the NA, if I recall correctly, concern the comissioning of some British OR's into the IA. It's there OR service papers you find.

Regards,

Matthew

[Armoured Farmer]

Hello,

This doesn't add much I'm afraid.

From Officers' Died in the Great War, page 275 in Deceased European Officers of the Indian Army.

There is also the War Diary of 57 Rifles at Kew: -

WO 95/3923 57 Rifles 1914 Aug. - 1915 Nov.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...;accessmethod=0

Which may add something.

Regards

Farmer

[koyli]

Matthew,

thank you very much for that tip. I shall reserve my time next week for the PRO then.

Farmer,

Thank you. It's surprising that since a lot of information is available on the net one doesn't think of going for the old reference books.

Koyli.

[Armoured Farmer]

Koyli,

I had tried on the SDGW cd, even in the 'Memoranda' and 'Additions' section. It took me while to think about that old fashioned thing sitting on the shelf gathering dust!

Good luck with your search.

Farmer

[stuart714]

Koyli

Wondered how your research on this officer went?

He is recorded on the Nairn War Memorial (which I am currently researching) - I haven't found much about him except his entry in the BL Catalogue, where it notes he was born in Ceylon.

Stuart