Citizendia
Your Ad Here

Photo submitted by Martin Hornby - (Gallaher Cigarette Cards)
Photo submitted by Martin Hornby - (Gallaher Cigarette Cards)

Leo Clarke, VC (December 1, 1892 – October 19, 1916) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Contents

Early life

Clarke was born in Waterdown, Ontario. Waterdown is a town in Canada which since 2001 has been a community of Hamilton, Ontario. He spent his early years in England, home of his parents, but later returned and settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba in about 1905. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Winnipeg (ˈwɪnɨpɛg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and 7th largest municipality in Canada with a population In 1910, he won an athletic championship in Saskatchewan. When World War I started, he was working as a surveyor for the Canadian National Railway in the Canadian north. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All He returned to Winnipeg to enlist in the 27th Battalion, and after arriving in England in June 1915, transferred to the 2nd (Eastern Ontario Regiment) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force to be with his brother, Charles. The 2nd (Eastern Ontario Regiment Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force was created in response to the First World War. The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the group of Canadian military units formed for service overseas in the First World War.

Victoria Cross

Thumb

The main assault of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette was scheduled for September 15, 1916. The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, which began on 15 September, 1916 and lasted for one week was the third and last of the large-scale offensives mounted by the Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Its objective was to occupy a chain of trenches between Martinpuich and Courcelette. Martinpuich is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais département in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. Courcelette is a commune in the Somme département in the Picardie region of France. On September 1, 1916, Clarke's battalion was charged with capturing a 50-yard-long salient between the Canadian position at Mouquet Farm and Courcelette to the north. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

On September 9, 1916, near Pozieres, France, the first three companies of Clarke's battalion went over the top, leaving the fourth in reserve. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Pozières is a commune in the Somme département in the Picardie region of France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A battalion is a Military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel Clarke, an Acting Corporal at the time, was assigned to take a section to clear the enemy on the left flank to allow his company sergeant to build a fortified dugout that would secure the Canadian position once the salient was overrun. Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations A section is a small Infantry unit first introduced in the British Army. When his section reached the trench, it was so heavily defended that they had to battle their way through with hand grenades, bayonets and their rifles as clubs. A bayonet (from French baïonnette) is a Knife - Dagger - or spike-shaped Weapon designed to fit on or over the muzzle A rifle is a Firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves ("rifling" cut into the barrel walls Clarke was the only man left standing; the rest had either been killed or wounded.

At that time, about 20 Germans, including two officers, counter-attacked. Clarke advanced, emptying his revolver into them. He then picked up two enemy rifles and fired those too. One of the officers attacked with a bayonet, wounding Clarke in the leg, but Clarke shot him dead. The Germans retreated, but Clarke pursued, shooting four more and capturing a fifth. In all, Clarke killed 19 of the enemy, capturing one.

Death

Photo by Terry Macdonald
Photo by Terry Macdonald

On October 11, 1916, Clarke's battalion was ordered forward to secure the newly captured Regina Trench which was still under heavy enemy artillery fire. Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Clarke was crouching in a hole at the rear of a trench when a shell exploded and the back of the trench caved in, burying him. His brother dug him out, but Clarke was paralyzed; the weight of the earth had crushed his back and injured his spine. Clarke was taken to No. 1 General Hospital, but died on October 19. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. He is buried in Plot II, Row C, Grave 3A, in Etretat Churchyard, 16 miles north of Le Havre, France. Le Havre is a city in the northwest region of France situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River as it outlets into the Bay of the Seine This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. According to a contemporary newspaper article, shortly before his death he wrote his parents, stating: "I don't care so much for the V. C. as getting home for a couple of months. "

Legacy

Clarke was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross in the spring of 1917. It was presented, by the Duke of Devonshire (Governor General of Canada in 1917), to Leo's father before a crowd of 30,000. This was the first time the VC had been presented to a commonwealth recipient in his own country.

In 1925, Pine Street in Winnipeg was renamed "Valour Road" in honor of Clarke and fellow Victoria Cross winners Frederick William Hall and Robert Shankland, all of whom lived on the 700 block. Winnipeg (ˈwɪnɨpɛg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and 7th largest municipality in Canada with a population Valour Road is a street in the West End of Winnipeg Manitoba. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since Frederick William Hall VC ( February 8, 1885 &ndash April 24, 1915) was an Irish born recipient (by birth and likewise Robert Shankland VC, DCM ( October 10, 1887 &ndash January 20, 1968) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria A plaque in his honor was erected by the Ontario Heritage Foundation at the Royal Canadian Legion branch in Waterdown. The Ontario Heritage Trust is a Canadian non-profit agency of the Ontario Ministry of Culture responsible for protecting preserving and promoting Ontario's built The Royal Canadian Legion is a Non-profit Canadian Ex-service organization ( Veterans Organization) founded in 1925 with more than Waterdown is a town in Canada which since 2001 has been a community of Hamilton, Ontario.

Clarke's story was featured in a Historica vignette, which was run nationally in Canada.

References

External links

Monuments to Courage Victoria Cross Monuments and Headstones is a two-volume book by David Harvey, published in 1999 on the last resting places of 1322 of the 1350 Scotland's Forgotten Valour is a 1995 book by Graham Ross, published by MacLean Press under ISBN 1-899272-00-3 The Register of the Victoria Cross is a Reference work that provides brief information on every VC ever awarded it provides a summary of the deed along During the Battle of the Somme, 51 Victoria Crosses were awarded to British and Commonwealth soldiers
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic