CLARK, John Herbert
| Service Number: | 188 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 December 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 5th Divisional Signal Company |
| Born: | Nymagee, New South Wales, Australia, 17 March 1891 |
| Home Town: | Junee, Junee, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Telegraphist |
| Died: | Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, 31 August 1949, aged 58 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Dec 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 188, 1st to 5th Divisional Signal Companies | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Dec 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 188, 1st Signal Company Engineers, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1 | |
| 8 Apr 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sapper, 188, 1st Signal Company Engineers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 15 Jun 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 188, 1st Divisional Signal Company, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 23 Oct 1915: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sapper, War Records Section , Records Section GHQ 3rd Echelon Middle East Forces (MEF) | |
| 11 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sapper, 5th Divisional Signal Company, 7.3.16 Capt. Stanley notified that he will raise and command the 5th Div Sig Coy 8.3.16 Capt. Stanly reported to Telel Kebir and took over. | |
| 7 Apr 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Stationed at Ferry Post on the Suez. | |
| 6 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Moved to MOASCAR | |
| 17 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Moved to Alexandria | |
| 18 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Sailed for Marseilles Transport Ship MANITOU. Disembarked 25.6.16 | |
| 25 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Service in France, including battlefield cleanup. | |
| 29 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, moved from Marseilles to Blaringhem by train. Marched from 0630am to 0930 where they went to billets. Took over Signal Office and arranged lines to Brigade positions. | |
| 9 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Moved to Croix de Bac | |
| 16 Jul 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Unit moved to Sailly and took over the signal station. Unit now taking casualties. | |
| 21 Jul 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Stationed at Sailly. Acting Corporal. | |
| 14 Oct 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Moved from Sailly to Merris. Left 1 officer and 18 OR's with div Art. Arrived Merris at 2:45pm and established a Signal Office, installed electric light etc. Opened communications with 15th Bde at Eslavie (sic), 8th Bde at Strazeile (sic) and 14th Bde at Outersteene. | |
| 17 Oct 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Moved from Merris to Bailleul West loaded wagons and horses and left at 02:30am (18.10.16). Arrived Pont Remy at 2:30pm unloaded and then marched along the Somme River to Ailly. Established Signal Office with Bde's. | |
| 20 Oct 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Marched from Ailly at 10:00am and arrived Longpre at 7:00pm where we were billeted for the night. 21.10.16 left Longpre at 08:30am and contunied journey arriving at Bell Vue Farm (south east of Albert directly opposite the Military Cemetery) at 7:00pm. | |
| 22 Oct 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Moved from Bell Vue Farm at 7:00am and arrived at Fricourt at 9:00am where we took over the Signal Office from the 30th Div Sig Coy at 10:00am. | |
| 5 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, CO and advance party moved to Ribemont. Coy took part in action fought by the staff of the 5th Div along with troops of the 2nd Aust Div. Handed Fricourt Sig Office over to 2nd Div Sig Coy. | |
| 6 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Arrived Ribemont at 6:00pm | |
| 7 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Advance party left Ribemont for Vignacourt and took over the Signal Office from the 4th DivSig Coy. The remainder of the 5th Div Sig Coy arrived in Vignacourt 8.11.16 | |
| 18 Sep 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company, "The Last Hundred Days", Near Peronne Mont St Quentin as the AIF pushed East to the Hindenburg Line | |
| 18 Sep 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 5th Divisional Signal Company, Mont St Quentin / Peronne | |
| 17 Jun 1919: | Honoured Military Medal, Mont St Quentin / Peronne | |
| 5 Jan 1920: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sergeant, 188, 5th Divisional Signal Company |
Awarded the Military Medal at Mont St Quentin
For courage and devotion to duty. Sergeant CLARK is the senior N.C.O. of No. 5 Section of this Company attached to the 5th Australian Machine Gun Battalion. he, with a party of linemen did particularly good work on the ST. QUENTIN front in operations on the 18th September 1918. In preparation for these operations, he, on the 17th September established communication between Battalion Headquarters near VENNDELLES, North West of ST. QUENTIN, and four Company Headquarters. The task was completed between 4.30 p.m. and 5.15 p.m. during which time he was caught in an enemy area shoot, but persisted in his duties. About 11 p.m. on the same night several lines were cut, and Sergeant CLARK again went out with his linemen and had normal communication established before the shelling ceases. Between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. on the 18th September he was constantly at work repairing lines which had been cut by shells, and succeeded in maintaining communication with firing batteries at a critical time under trying circumstances. He accompanied the linemen each time it was necessary for them to go out and was an excellent example of courage and devotion to duty without regard for his personal safety.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 115
Date: 10 October 1919
Submitted 29 June 2019 by Steve Larkins
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