CLARK, Elmer William
| Service Number: | 233 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 31 August 1914, An original member of B Company 9th Bn. |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 49th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Appleton, Wisconsin, United States of America , 22 April 1890 |
| Home Town: | Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | District 8th Grade, United States of America |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 15 November 1916, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Longueval Road Cemetery, France Row I, Grave No. 4. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 31 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 233, 9th Infantry Battalion, An original member of B Company 9th Bn. | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 1914: | Involvement Private, 233, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Omrah embarkation_ship_number: A5 public_note: '' | |
| 24 Sep 1914: | Embarked Private, 233, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Omrah, Brisbane | |
| 15 Nov 1916: | Involvement Sergeant, 233, 49th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 233 awm_unit: 49th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1916-11-15 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Elmer Clark was born in Wisconsin, in the United States of America. His father was a dealer in flour and feed. Elmer came to Australia in 1908 at about 18 years of age. He settled in Brisbane and when war came, he was one of the first to enlist, giving his occupation as ‘labourer’.
Elmer served at the Anzac landing with the 9th Battalion and suffered a gunshot wound to the wrist soon after, and returned to Gallipoli after a few weeks of treatment in Egypt.
He transferred to the 49th Battalion during the ‘doubling’ of the AIF in Egypt after the Dardanelles campaign and was promoted up to Sergeant shortly after.
He was awarded a Military Medal for his bravery at Pozieres on the 9 August 1916 when a shell struck a store of boxes of Very Lights, flares and grenades. Sergeant Clark risked his own life when he rushed in and separated the burning boxes, extinguishing them by hand and saving many men from becoming casualties as well as saving several thousand grenades.
He was awarded a Bar to the Military Medal for his gallant and distinguished conduct throughout the desperately heavy fighting near Mouquet Farm in September 1916.
“These two N.C.O.s (Clark and 1569 Mark Jones) were in command of detachments holding the right flank. When the majority of my Officers became casualties, three only of those that went over the top came out, these two N.C.O.s took command and helped to consolidate the right flank. During the counter attack on my right flank on the 3 September they did excellent work, in fact, during the whole of the period whilst they were there, by their behaviour they set an example of duty to the men under them. Sergeant Clark has been awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous gallantry during a last action, and I beg to recommend both these N.C.O.s for some distinction.”
In mid-November 1916, Elmer was due to go on leave but it was suspended. The same day, he was returning from Brigade Headquarters to his battalion and was hit in the leg at Flers by a piece of shrapnel. He was brought to the 4th Field Ambulance dressing station but died of his wound on 15 November 1916.
His mother in Wisconsin, United States, eventually received his effects and all of his medals and entitlements.
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