The 1901 Census on Ancestry.co.uk reveals that the Clarke family were living at Gleaves Cottages, St. Asaph in the county of Flintshire.
Head of the household is shown to be John Clarke age 41 born in 1860 in Horsley Woodhouse, Derbyshire he was a Coachman by trade.
His wife was Harriet nee Tucker age 43 born in Shineton, Shropshire and their children, Reginald age 9, Dorothy age 7 and Gwendoline age 2 all the children were born in Saint Asaph.
The 1911 Census shows us that the Clarke family were still living in St. Asaph but had moved to Mount Road.
John Clarke was 51 at this time and still a Domestic Coachman by trade, his wife Harriet was 53 and the only child still at home was Gwendoline Margaret age 12 years old, Scholar. There were two Sister-in-laws staying at this address, Margaret Mathews age 59 and Emma Barlow age 56 both born in Shineton, Shropshire.
There was also a Boarder by the name of Arthur Jones age 19 a Cathedral Lay Clerk by trade.
Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754-1930 on Ancestry.co.uk
Reginald Hingley Clarke married Alice Emily Joines in Banbury, Oxfordshire, on 6th August 1915.
Soldiers who died in the Great War 1914-1920 on Ancestry.co.uk
Reginald Hingley Clarke enlisted into the 7th Battalion of the Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment, in Banbury, Oxon, his regimental number was G/24595. He was previously in the Somerset Light Infantry and his regimental number at that time was 25295.
He was killed in Action on 12th October 1917 in France and Flanders.
Unfortunately I cannot locate a Service Record for Reginald and therefore cannot be specific regarding information on postings, but the 7th Battalion was part of the 18th Division.
The following information is from The Long Long Trail and lists the battles that the 18th Division were involved in.
The history of 18th (Eastern) Division from The Long Long Trail
This Division was established by the Eastern Command in September 1914, as part of the Army Orders authorising Kitchener’s Second New Army, K2. Early days were somewhat chaotic, the new volunteers having very few trained officers and NCOs to command them, no organised billets or equipment. The units of the Division initially concentrated in the Colchester area but moved in May 1915 to Salisbury Plain. King George V inspected the Division on 24 June.
Embarkation for France began on 24 July and units moved to assemble near Flesselles, completing concentration there five days later.
The Division served on the Western Front for the remainder of the war, taking part in many of the significant actions:
1916
The Battle of Albert* in which the Division captured its objectives near Montauban
The Battle of Bazentin Ridge* in which the Division captured Trones Wood
The Battle of Delville Wood*
The Battle of Thiepval Ridge*
The Battle of the Ancre Heights* in which the Division played a part in the capture of the Schwaben Redoubt and in the capture of Regina Trench
The Battle of the Ancre*
The battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916
1917
Operations on the Ancre (notably Miraumont and the capture of Irles)
The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line
The Third Battle of the Scarpe, a phase of the Arras offensive
The Battle of Pilkem Ridge***
The Battle of Langemarck***
First Battle of Passchendaele***
The Second Battle of Passchendaele***
The battles marked *** are phases of the Third Battles of Ypres
Reginald Hingley Clarke was awarded The British War Medal and The Victory Medal.
He is commemorated at Tyne Cot Memorial, Panel 106 to 108, Zonnebeke, West- Vlaanderen, Belgium.
