Clarke S A Sergt G/2659 6th East Kent Regiment
SERGEANT STEWART ALGERNON CLARKE, The Buffs, was the sixth son of the late Rev. James S. Clarke, vicar of Goudhurst, Kent, and was born in 1881.
Educated at Cranbrook Grammar School and Tonbridge, he entered the office of Ricardo and Robertson in 1895 and became a member of the Stock Exchange nine years later.
Until he injured his knee he was manager of “B” team of Blackheath Football Club. He was an enthusiastic collector of antiques, a connoisseur in old table glass, and a member of the British Numismatic and of the Kent Numismatic Societies.
During August 1914 he served in Kent as a motor-cyclist patrol and despatch rider. In September he enlisted in the 6th Battalion The Buffs, and was trained with them at Purfleet, Sandling, and Aldershot before they were sent to France in June 1915.
Before that Stewart Clarke had qualified at Hythe in Machine Gun work, and had been appointed Machine Gun Sergeant-Instructor to the battalion.
He was killed in action on the night of October 1915 near 13 Hulluch, in the course of the operations following the battle of Loos. His Machine Gun Officer wrote thus of him: “We were attacking a portion of the German trenches, and he was in charge of one of the guns which had to advance to the captured trench. He died whilst leading his team in the most gallant fashion.”
“Of all that he meant to me I can give no idea. I always looked upon him as a brother officer to whom I could go for advice, and whose advice was always worth taking. The men of the Machine Gun section absolutely worshipped him and, whatever hardships they had to go through, there was never any complaint because they knew they could trust their sergeant to get the best possible for them.”
Source : The Stock Exchange War Memorial 1914-1918
Clarke S A Sergt G/2659 6th East Kent Regiment
SERGT. STEWART ALGERNON CLARKE, 6TH BATTN. THE BUFFS (EAST KENT REGT.). KILLED IN ACTION AT THE HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT, NEAR HULLUCH, OCTOBER 13TH, 1915. AGED 34.
At the School 1893-95 (Day Boy). Stewart Algernon Clarke was the sixth son of the late Rev. James Sanderson Clarke, Vicar of Goudhurst, Kent, and Mrs. Clarke, of 198, Denmark Hill, S.E., and a brother of the Rev. Kenneth Clarke (P.S. 1889-93; Sixth Form 1892-93; XI. 1891-2-3; XV. 1892; Sizar of St. John’s College, Cambridge, 1893; B.A. 1896), for long Vicar of St. Mark’s, Lewisham, S.E. He had been on the Stock Exchange ever since. he left School, and became a Member of the House in 1904. He was a Member of the Kent Numismatic Society, and his great hobby lately had been “tokens.” He was, says a correspondent, a “real good fellow and a delightful companion with a host of friends.”
On the outbreak of war he acted as a Cycle Patrol on the Kentish coast and then enlisted with the other men in the 6th Battn. of the Buffs and in time became Machine Gun Sergeant. He was offered one or two Commissions, but would not take them as he was unwilling to leave the men he enlisted with and wanted to serve in the Buffs, as East Kent was his home.
His officer writes: “He was killed on the night of the 13-14th (October). We were attacking a portion of the German trenches and he was in charge of the gun which had to advance to the captured trench. He died whilst leading his team in the most gallant fashion. In the whole Battalion there was hardly a man more looked up to than Sergt. Clarke, and this regard he had won for himself entirely by his own personal merit. Of all that he meant to me I can give you no idea. I always looked on him as a brother officer to whom I could go for advice and whose advice was always worth taking. The men of the machine gun section absolutely worshipped him, and whatever hardship they have had to go through there was never any complaint, because they knew they could trust their Sergeant to get the best possible for them.”
One of his brothers, the third son, Basil Edward Clarke, who was serving as a Private in the 7th Battn. of the 1st Canadian Contingent, was reported missing when the Canadians lost so heavily near Ypres on April 24th, 1915, and his death was ultimately presumed. Two other brothers served and were both wounded.
Source : Tonbridge School And The Great War Of 1914-1919