Current Information:

Age-19

17, Silverhall Street, Isleworth

In September, 1914, the 1/8th Middlesex battalion went to Gibraltar, the first Territorial Army unit to go abroad. In February, 1915, they returned home and in March they went to France where they joined 85 Brigade of 28th Division. On 12th April they moved into trenches at Zonnebeke, in the Ypres salient where they remained until relieved on 15th April. Arthur Clarke was killed on 14th April but the battalion diary provides no further information concerning his death. The attrition rate among British soldiers on the Western Front was on average 300 each day and 60% of these were as a result of shellfire. When not involved in an actual battle it was either shell fire or a sniper’s bullet that caused most deaths and injuries.