Clarke, Lionel Beaumaurice

Lionel Beaumaurice ‘Leo’ Clarke was born in Waterdown, Ontario, (now a suburb of Hamilton) on 1 December 1892. He was the eldest of nine children born to Henry Trevelyan ‘Harry’ and Rosetta Caroline Nona (Bodily) Clarke. His parents, who were recent emigrants from England, moved the family back to the United Kingdom for a time after his birth and settled near Chelmsford, Essex, where his father took up farming. The Clarke family returned to Canada in 1904 and by 1906, they were living on Pine Street in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

A resident engineer, Clarke enlisted in the 27th Canadian Infantry Battalion in Winnipeg, Manitoba on 25 February 1915. After initial training in Canada, he and his unit sailed from Quebec City aboard the SS Carpathian on 17 May 1915, bound for England. He proceeded to France with the 27th Battalion on 18 September 1915. On 13 October 1915 he was transferred to the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, where he would join his younger brother Charles as a “bomber.” He sustained a gunshot wound to the right side on 8 December 1915 and returned to duty three days later. He was hospitalized with influenza from 10 April to 2 May 1916. On 6 August 1916 he was appointed to the rank of Acting Corporal.

Clarke was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions of 9 September 1916, while the 2nd Battalion was serving near Courcelette, France in support of ongoing actions during the Battle of the Somme. While leading a party of bombers to secure a newly-captured trench at Pozières Ridge, a German counter-attack inflicted heavy casualties on the party, leaving Clarke to fight alone. Despite suffering a bayonet wound to the leg, he continued fighting, eventually killing or wounding most of the enemy and taking a number of others as prisoners. He was appointed to the rank of Acting Sergeant shortly after his actions at Pozières Ridge.

Clarke was fatally wounded on 11 October 1916 while the 2nd Battalion was securing the newly-captured Regina Trench under heavy German artillery fire. An exploding shell collapsed the back of the trench, burying him in the earth and mud. Though he was dug out alive by his brother, he had sustained severe internal injuries, including a spinal injury that had rendered him paraplegic. He was evacuated to the No. 1 (British) General Hospital in Étretat, where he later died of his injuries on 19 October 1916. He is buried in Étretat Churchyard near Le Havre, France, and is commemorated on page 67 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.

Leo Clarke’s Victoria Cross was presented to his father by the Governor General, the Duke of Devonshire, during a visit to Winnipeg in February 1917. He is one of three First World War Victoria Cross recipients who lived on Pine Street in Winnipeg, along with Sergeant-Major Frederick William Hall and Lieutenant Robert Shankland. Pine Street was renamed Valour Road in 1925 in honour of the three men.

Victoria Cross

“For most conspicuous bravery. He was detailed with his section of bombers to clear the continuation of a newly-captured trench and cover the construction of a “block.” After most of his party had become casualties, he was building a “block” when about twenty of the enemy with two officers counter-attacked. He boldly advanced against them, emptied his revolver into them and afterwards two enemy rifles which he picked up in the trench. One of the officers then attacked him with the bayonet, wounding him in the leg, but he shot him dead. The enemy then ran away pursued by Acting Corporal Clarke, who shot four more and captured a fifth. Later he was ordered to the dressing-station but returned next day to duty.”

- London Gazette, 26 October 1916, Supplement 29802