Education & Career :

Veterinary Surgeon (1902)

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

Egypt was the base for the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force which was engaged in the region, primarily against the Turks. In the early stages of the war Egypt was threatened by Turkish advances towards Suez which were defeated and the Turks retreated to Palestine. Most of the effort of the MEF was thereafter directed towards operations in Palestine and Syria. Many of those buried and commemorated in Egypt succumbed to wounds, disease or were army victims of naval actions in the region.

Detail :

Nottinghamshire County Council commemorate him on their Roll of Honour:

"Robert must have been a welcomed asset to the Army Veterinary Corps with all his veterinary experience. He was serving by 1915 as he was awarded the British, Victory and 1915 plus medals plus one emblem. He went to Egypt 22nd November 1915 and it was here that he died on either the 10th or 19th of August 1917. He is buried in the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery."

Robert William Clarke was born in Horncastle in 1867. His father, Thomas Allen Clarke, who was a veterinary surgeon and chemist, married Margaret Jackson in Leyburn, Yorks in 1861. Robert had nine siblings, all born between 1864 and 1881 in Horncastle or near area. Thomas Allen Clarke died 1890 at Horncastle age 51. The following census year of 1891, Robert was living with four of his siblings and his widowed mother in Baulks Street, Horncastle where his occupation is recorded as a veterinary surgeon manager and employer. In 1897 he married Mary Lizzie Fletcher but tragically it only lasted three years as she died in 1900 aged just 22. In 1901 Robert was head of his household at Silver Street, Wragby and described as a widower veterinary surgeon, own account, at home. In 1907 he married again to Jeannie Mary Ward and in 1908 had a daughter name Nancy. By 1911 Robert Carlie [sic], Jeannie and Nancy were resident at Beechouse, Wragby where Robert practiced as a veterinary surgeon.

Robert left a Wil and in 1916 went to probate as follows:- Clarke Robert William of Beechouse Wragby Lincolnshire a Captain in his Majesties Army died 19 August 1916 at Cairo in Egypt Probate Lincoln 22 Dec to Jeannie Mary Clarke widow. Effects £230 10/- 9d.

His widowed wife went on to re-marry. In September 1919 at Horncastle her new husband was Henry Kinnear Ovey."

"He is also commemorated on the Wragby memorial Lincolnshire, and also the Lincolnshire Yeomanry Roll of Honour , situated in Lincoln Cathedral library." Also commemorated at Retford - St Swithun War Memorial as R W CLARKE R.A.V.C.

Masonic :

Past Master, Past Provincial Grand Deacon

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley