CLARK, George Melvin

War
1st World War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Lucknow, Ontario
Original Unit
18th Battalion - Western Ontario
Regimental Number
651472
Rank
Private
Date of Death
Age at Death
21 years 7 months
Cemetery
Orpington All Saints Churchyard Extension - Kent - England
Cenotaph
Lucknow Cenotaph
Biographical Summary

DIVISIONAL UNIT:         2nd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             4th Infantry Brigade
                                             18th Battalion - Western Ontario
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   651472
RESIDENCE:                     Lucknow – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            February 20, 1897
                                             Lucknow – Ashfield / East Wawanosh Townships – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           September 20, 1918             21 years     7 months
CEMETERY:                     Orpington (All Saints) Churchyard Extension – Orpington –
                                             Kent – England
                                             F     6
BROTHER:                        Mr. Frank Clark - London
AUNT:                                Mrs. E. McCorvie - Lucknow
Occupation:                        Farmer’s Hand                     Religion:     Methodist
Enlistment:                         Lucknow – January 25, 1916 into 160th Battalion
Enlistment Age:                 18 years     11 months

Private Clark arrived in England on October 28, 1916. He had enlisted with the 160th Bruce Battalion and was Taken off Strength from them and was posted to the 4th Reserve Battalion at the beginning of March 1918. He was then posted to the 18th Battalion then goes into France and then joins his unit in the field on April 12, 1918.
The weather on June 14th was fair and cool. The artillery carried out their usual harassing fire on the German infantry during the day. The enemy artillery was below normal with only light shelling near Ficheaux.
In the early morning hours, the artillery laid down a barrage in support of the 5th Infantry Brigade advancing on the enemy. The enemy came back with an artillery barrage of their own onto the front lines of the Brigade. During the day the Brigade artillery was active on the enemy forward areas.
It is believed that when the enemy artillery barrage was brought down was when Private Clark was seriously wounded. He received wounds to his head and to his arm which was fractured.
He was then admitted to No. 3 Canadian Stationary Hospital located about 15 miles away in Doullens. The next day, June 15th he was sent to No. 5 General Hospital located in Rouen and is then reported to be dangerously ill on June 16th and again on June 30th. On July 6th he is taken off dangerously ill list.
He is invalided back to England on the Hospital Ship Panama on July 7th with some of his skull removed and then admitted to King George Hospital located in London on July 9th. He is again reported to be dangerously ill on August 10th, seriously ill on August 12th and very seriously ill on August 15th.
On September 13 Private Clark was moved to No. 16 Canadian General Hospital at Orpington in London and is dangerously ill.
Private Clark had critical head wounds and during the evening of August 19th his temperature rose to 103 degrees and he lost consciousness and at 07:50 hours on September 20th, Private Clark lost the battle to live.