William Hew Clark-Kennedy VC CMG DSO* ED

b. 03/03/1879 Dunskey, Kirkcudbrightshire,Scotland. d. 25/10/1961 Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

William Hew Clark-Kennedy (1879-1961) was born on 3rd March 1879 at Dunskey House, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland. His father, Charles Alexander William Maxwell Clark-Kennedy JP DL, was from Rochester, Kent, and served in the Coldstream Guards and was promoted captain in 1874. He married Lettice “Lottie” Lucy Hewitt, who was from Dublin, Ireland, on 4th February 1875 at Meenglas, County Donegal, Ireland. William had seven siblings.

William H Clark-Kennedy VC CMG DSO

William served in the Imperial Yeomanry, Rhodesian Horse and later Paget’s Horse as a trooper during the Second Boer War. He saw action at Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal, where he was mentioned in despatches. He was discharged in 1902 and the following year joined the Canadian Militia (5th Royal Highlanders of Canada). William was one of the organisers of the St Andrew’s Ball of 1913 at which the Duke and Duchess of Connaught were guests of honour.

William had a medical at Valcartier, Quebec on 28th August 1914 and was attested on 23rd September. He was commissioned in 13th Canadian Infantry Battalion with the rank of captain backdated to 22nd September 1914. He was described as a company manager. He sailed for Britain with the First Canadian Contingent, embarking on RMS Alaunia at Quebec on 25th September, and arriving in Plymouth, Devon on 16th October. Further training was carried out on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire before moving to France on 9th February 1915 and rejoining 13th Battalion on 1st April. He was in action during the German gas attack at Ypres in April 1915 and was reported killed on 25th April. This was corrected two days later to “alive and well”. He was knocked over three times by shells, the third time being completely buried and rendered unconscious. The men either side of him were killed but he managed to dig himself out, although the enemy was close by, and managed to return to his own lines with valuable information. He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Bronze Palm on 30th March 1916.

He was then promoted to temporary major on 24th April. He was then awarded the DSO for his actions in the attack on Festubert in May 1915. He was admitted to 3rd Canadian Field Ambulance on 29th May and No 4 Casualty Clearing Station with a back injury. He was discharged to duty on 31st May and was appointed Staff Captain, HQ 3rd Canadian Brigade on 27th November. William was granted leave between 3rd-13th December 1915 and 1st-15th April 1916. On 18th June he was appointed GS03, HQ 2nd Canadian Division and was attached to HQ 3rd Canadian Brigade on 17th September. He was promoted major and appointed Brigade Major, HQ 5th Canadian Brigade on 3rd October 1916. He was promoted temporary lieutenant colonel and assumed command of 24th Battalion on 30th December. He was awarded the CMG for services rendered in connection with military operations in France and Flanders on 3rd June 1918.

He was awarded a Bar to his DSO for his actions during the Battle of Amiens on 8th August 1918. The Battalion reached its objectives and on several occasions at great risk he personally directed the capture of strongpoints obstinately defended by the enemy.

Lieutenant-Colonel Clark-Kennedy received the Victoria Cross for his conduct in the Battle of Arras on 27th and 28th August 1918. Over the course of those two days, his battalion suffered numerous casualties near Wancourt in France as it strove to advance through heavy artillery and machine gun fire. In the face of such strong enemy resistance, Clark-Kennedy led his men forward to eliminate machine gun positions preventing the progress of the offensive. This enabled the entire brigade to reach the Fresnes-Rouvray line. Though wounded, Lieutenant-Colonel Clark-Kennedy remained in command of his battalion until its objective was consolidated.

Clark-Kennedy was presented with his VC, CMG, and a Bar to his DSO in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace on 1st March 1919 by King George V. William sailed for Canada aboard SS Melita on 28th March and was struck off strength of the CEF at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 7th April 1919. He gave his address as 157 St James Street, Montreal. He was mentioned in despatches four times (1916, 1917 and twice in 1918). He rejoined the Militia and was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel.

William returned to his job with Standard Life Assurance Company and became a manager. He was appointed a director of Guardian Insurance Company of Canada in 1927 and Chairman in 1943. He was also Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Guardian-Caledonian Group of insurance companies. William retired from Standard Life Assurance in November 1945. He was a member of Saint Paul’s Freemason Lodge (No 12) of the Canadian Constitution, meeting in Montreal, where he was the Secretary. William was a keen sportsman, fond of fishing and shooting.

William attended two VC Reunions – the VC Dinner at the House of Lords in November 1929 and the VC Centenary Celebrations at Hyde Park in June 1956. With his wife, Kate, he sailed from New York to Southampton aboard RMS Mauretania, arriving on 17th December 1952. They sailed the same route aboard RMS Queen Mary, arriving on 18th April 1956. They also travelled from Montreal to Greenock, Scotland, arriving on 16th July 1960.

William died in Montreal on 25th October 1961 and is buried in the Reford family plot (Lot 258, Pine Hill Section), in Mount Royal Cemetery, Outremont, Montreal. He is commemorated with a memorial tablet in the Museum of Royal Highlanders of Canada in Montreal, on the VC obelisk in Barrie, Ontario, with a VC commemorative stone laid at Carsphairn Parish Church, Castle Douglas, Scotland on 27th August 2018, and with a memorial paving stone outside Freemason’s Hall, Covent Garden, London. He also has a memorial in Victoria Cross Grove in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

In addition to the VC, CMG and DSO & Bar, he was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902 (clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal & South Africa 1901), 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 with Mentioned in Despatches oakleaf, Efficiency Decoration (Canada), George VI Coronation Medal 1937, Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953 and French Croix de Guerre 1914-18 with Bronze Palm. The location of the medal group is not known, believed to be family.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: HELD BY FAMILY.

BURIAL PLACE: MOUNT ROYAL CEMETERY, MONTREAL, CANADA. PINE HILL SECTION, LOT 258