Andrew Clark

Andrew Clark

Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force

Died 9th April 1917 aged 25

Private A. Clark  –  Can. Ex. Force

Andrew Clark was a son of Andrew Clark, shepherd, and Elsie Jaffrey who married at Fintry in 1887. He was born at Ythanbank Cottage, Dyce on 9 March 1892. In 1901, the Clarks were living at Pond Cottage, Torphins. There were four children – Mary aged 13, and three brothers, Alfred, Andrew and Alexander aged 11, 9 and 6 respectively.  

As a young man Andrew Clark emigrated to Canada and, following the outbreak of war, enlisted in February 1915, as a volunteer in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force at Belleville, Ontario. He was assigned to the Canadian (West Ontario) Regiment (18th Bn. No.412204) on 15 February 1915, giving his peacetime occupation as “labourer”. At the time of joining up, his mother was living at Torphins. She later resided at Forester Lodge, Pitfour, Mintlaw. His attestation paper states that he had previously served 3 years in the Scottish Horse, a territorial regiment which had a depot at Torphins. 

The 18th Bn. left Canada on 24 June 1915, arriving in England on 3 July. In February 1916, his service record shows that he joined his unit in the Field. In the following month he was out of action for a week with a hand infection, but in June of the same year suffered a gunshot wound to his left arm resulting in an “incomplete fracture”. He was sent back to England on the hospital ship “Brighton” and admitted to West Dene Military Hospital at St Leonards-on-Sea on 16 June 1916. From there he was moved to the Pavilion Military Hospital, Brighton and then, on 20 July 1916 to the Canadian Division’s convalescent hospital at Woodcote Park, Epsom. He was discharged as fit for duty on 17 August. At some point Pte. Clark made a will leaving everything to his mother, giving her address at that time as Learney, Torphins. She later lived at Forester Lodge, Pitfour, Mintlaw.

The service record notes that on 31 March 1917 he rejoined his unit in the Field and shortly after, on 9 April 1917, he was killed in action.

The 18th Canadians were an infantry battalion forming part of the 4th Infantry Brigade of the 2nd Canadian Division, who were among the Four Divisions of the Canadian Corps deployed, as part of the Arras Offensive, to capture Vimy Ridge, a strategically important escarpment which had been under German control since the invasion in 1914. They were part of the main assault beginning on 9 April 1917. After days of fierce fighting and very heavy casualties, the ridge was captured by the Canadians by the evening of 12 April. This soldier died on the first day of the assault. His death was posted in the Aberdeen Evening Express 4 May 1917 – “Killed in action on 9th April, Private Andrew Clark, Canadians, second son of Mr and Mrs Clark, Chapelwell, Learney, Torphins, aged 25 years. He is buried at Nine Elms Military Cemetery, Thelus. 

Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Register of births
Census 1901
Library and Archives of Canada – Personnel Records of the First World War – file B1724-SO21
Ancestry.co.uk – Canada, Soldiers of the First World War, 1914-1918
Aberdeen Evening Express 4 May 1917
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