b. 18/05/1889 St Ives, Huntingdonshire. d. 29/11/1917 Bourlon, France.
George William Burdett Clare (1889-1917) was born on the 18th May 1889 at Prospect Place, St Ives, Huntingdonshire to George and Rhoda Clare (nee May), but the family later moved to Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, and lived at 12, Burnsfield Street. He was known as “Donkey”, “Needle” or “Billy”. His father was a printer’s apprentice prior to marrying Rhoda. For an unknown reason, his father changed his surname to Howe, but most of his children were born as Clare. By 1901 the family had moved to Greenwich, London, and later Plumstead. It is believed his parents later separated. George junior had six siblings. George was largely raised by his grandparents, George and Emma Clare, who lived at Anchor Street, Chatteris. He was educated at Chatteris Church School.
It is believed that Clare left school around the age of 12 or 13 and worked briefly for a land surveyor, before finding work as the driver of a builders horse and cart and later working for a veterinary surgeon called Mr Hazeldine. Clare, known by many as Billy, was in demand for church services and concerts owing to his singing voice and would often be asked to sing at Yeomanry smoking concerts. He was living at the time with his sister Dorah. Clare joined the local Bedford Imperial Yeomanry troop in Chatteris, serving for eight years before enlisting in the Army, though he had registered for the National Reserve on the 29th January 1914. On the outbreak of war, Clare answered the call and was posted to a Remount Depot before being posted to the 5th Lancers (Royal Irish).
George W B Clare VC
On the 28th/29th November 1917 at Bourlon Wood, when, acting as a stretcher-bearer during a most intense and continuous enemy bombardment, Pte. Clare dressed and conducted wounded over the open to the dressing-station about 500 yards away. At one period when all the garrison of a detached post, which was lying out in the open about 150 yards to the left of the line occupied, had become casualties, he crossed the intervening space, which was continually swept by heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, and having dressed all the cases, manned the post single-handed till a relief could be sent. Pte. Clare then carried a seriously wounded man through intense fire to cover, and later succeeded in getting him to the dressing station. At the dressing-station he was told that the enemy was using gas shells to a large extent in the valley below, and as the wind was blowing the gas towards the line of trenches and shell-holes occupied, he started on the right of the line and personally warned every company post of the danger, the whole time under shell and rifle fire. This very gallant soldier was subsequently killed by a shell.
Clare’s body was lost and he is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, in St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire and on the Chatteris War Memorial, and has a VC commemorative stone in front of it. His Commanding Officer, Lieut.-Colonel H. A. Cape, had recommended Clare for the award and the recommendation had been fully supported by the 2nd (Cavalry) Division Commander Maj.-Gen. W. H. Greenly. Cape later wrote to Clare’s parents and a copy of his letter is held by The Chatteris Museum, and the VC was presented to Clare’s parents on the 2nd March 1918, by the King at Buckingham Palace.
In addition to the VC he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal 1914-19. His VC is understood to have been sold to a collector before passing to Dwight L. Thomson from Hamilton, Ohio. It was purchased by Spink & Son, who sold it to Major General A C Shortt, of Hayward’s Heath, Sussex. He sold it to 16th/5th The Queen’s Royal Lancers for £550 in 1961. The campaign medals passed to George’s cousin, Martha Samson (nee Smith), and they were reunited with the VC when they were presented to the Regiment by the family. The VC was held by the Queen’s Royal Lancers Museum, Belvoir Castle, near Grantham, Lincolnshire, until the Castle became unavailable. The VC was in storage until the Queen’s Royal Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum at Thoresby Courtyard, Thoresby Park, Ollerton, Nottinghamshire which opened in 2011.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: ROYAL LANCERS REGIMENT MUSEUM, THORESBY PARK, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.
BURIAL PLACE: NO KNOWN GRAVE – ON CAMBRAI MEMORIAL, FRANCE.
PANEL 61 TO 63.
Acknowledgement:
Paul Reed – Medal at the Royal Lancers Museum, Thoresby Park, Nottinghamshire.