Cemetery: Cambrai Memorial Louverval

Country: France

Area: Nord

Rank: Private

Force: Army

Official Number: 6657

Unit: 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers.

Country of Service: British

Details: V C 28th November 1917. Age 28. Native of St. Ives Huntingdonshire. Panel 1. An extract from the "London Gazette," dated 8th Jan., 1918, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty when, acting as a stretcher-bearer during a most intense and continuous enemy bombardment, Pte. Clare dressed and conducted wounded over the open to the dressing-station about 500 yards away. At one period when all the garrison of a detached post, which was lying out in the open about 1 50 yards to the left of the line occupied, had become casualties, he crossed the intervening space, which was continually swept by heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, and, having dressed all the cases, manned the post single-handed till a relief could be sent. Pte. Clare then carried a seriously wounded man through intense fire to cover, and later succeeded in getting him to the dressing station. At the dressing-station he was told that the enemy was using gas shells to a large extent in the valley below, and as the wind was blowing the gas towards the line of trenches and shell-holes occupied, he started on the right of the line and personally warned every company post of the danger, the whole time under shell and rifle fire. This very gallant soldier was subsequently killed by a shell."

Photograph by David Milborrow