CLARK, William Joseph
| Service Number: | 3316 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 49th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Shoreditch, Middlesex, England, 1869 |
| Home Town: | Roma, Maranoa, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Bricklayer |
| Died: | Killed in action, Mouquet Farm, France, 5 September 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Tree Plaque: |
Roma Heroes Avenue
|
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Roma Cenotaph, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3316, 9th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 3316, 9th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Warilda embarkation_ship_number: A69 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 3316, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Warilda, Brisbane | |
| 5 Sep 1916: | Involvement Private, 3316, 49th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3316 awm_unit: 49th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-09-05 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
William Joseph Clark was born in England in 1869 and came out to Queensland in 1914 with his wife, Alice, and ten children. His wife, Alice died in June 1914, shortly after arriving. William enlisted in July 1915, at the age of 44, leaving behind four children under the age of 10. Three of his eldest sons also enlisted in the AIF, 3783 Pte. William Walter Clark M.M. 2nd Machine Gun Company AIF, 4765 Pte. John Clark 15th Battalion AIF and 52992 Pte. George Clark 14th Battalion AIF.
He gave his next of kin as his sister, Esther Sills, of Roma, Queensland. Esther had 11 children of her own to raise, but she took in the five youngest children of her brother. She was also caring for her and William’s mother, who was in her eighties.
William had a short war, he only arrived in France during June 1916 with the 49th Battalion and was reported missing during the very heavy fighting which took place at Mouquet Farm on 3 September 1916. It was stated in his Red Cross Wounded and Missing file, “Just as we were going over the top at Mouquet Farm I saw him hit by shell splinters. It was a bad hit. He was knocked about badly and killed instantly. Am not sure of his initials or number, but he was elderly, about 42. He has two sons in the war, one is in the 26th Battalion. Short, thickset, he looked the labourer type. His wife is dead. He is English and emigrated to Australia. He was in B Company.”
William was 47 years years of age when he died and at first reported missing, he was verified as killed in action at a Court of Enquiry during 1917 and his remains were never found.
The five youngest children of William Joseph Clark, whom his sister Esther was caring for, were all awarded pensions of a pound per fortnight. They were aged between five and thirteen years.
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