John Fred Clarke was born in Trenton, Pictou County, on February 8, 1918, to Alexander Bradford “Sandy” and Edith (Clyburne) Clarke. Both of John’s parents were Guysborough County natives. Alexander was the son of Alexander Clarke and Premilla “Prim” Silver, Goldboro, while Edith was the daughter of David Clyburne and Ellen “Nellie” Fenton, Isaac’s Harbour.
 |
| Private John Fred Clarke's headstone, Beny-sur-Mer Cemetery |
Alexander Clarke and Edith Clyburne were married in Goldboro on August 22, 1910. Over the next decade, the couple moved back and forth between Guysborough and Pictou Counties. At the time of the 1911 census, the newlyweds were living in a Stellarton boarding house while Alexander worked in the local mines. The couple’s first child, a daughter Lois Ann, was born in Isaac’s Harbour—likely her maternal grandparent’s home—on October 3, 1913.
By 1915, the family had returned to Goldboro, where a son, Huntley Pearson, was born on July 6, 1915. Three years later, Alexander was employed as a steel worker in the Trenton steel plant at the time of John’s birth. By the time of the 1921 Canadian census, the Clarke family had returned to Goldboro, where a fourth child, Frank Alexander, joined the family on April 15, 1921. Frank’s birth registration gives his father’s occupation as “seaman,” while the census conducted two months later described Alexander’s employment as “labourer” at “odd jobs.”
The family appears to have remained in the Goldboro area throughout the 1920s. At the time of the 1931 Canadian census. 14-year-old John and his youngest brother Frank were still attending school. Their 17-year-old sister Lois was employed as a “packer” in a lobster factory, while their 15-year-old brother Huntley was working as a “labourer” in the local fishery. Their father Alexander continued to work at “odd jobs” in the community.
John Clarke left school at age 14, having completed Grade V. He initially worked as a labourer in the local community and was eventually was employed at a local gold mine, where he drove light and heavy trucks. During the 1930s, the family experienced its first tragedy when John’s oldest brother Huntley died in Antigonish on March 3, 1936, four months shy of his 21st birthday. No details are available on the circumstances of his death.
By 1941, John had relocated to Halifax, where he worked as a “general labourer” for Maple Leaf Dairy. On April 2, 1942, he enlisted with the Canadian Army at Halifax. At the time, John stated that he had “no particular reason for enlistment” but “like[d] the army… very well.” Following completion of basic infantry training at No. 14 Infantry Training Centre, Aldershot, he spent almost three weeks in the camp’s military hospital with a case of the mumps.
Discharged to duty on June 2, 1942, John received five days’ pre-embarkation leave early the following month. On July 19, he departed for overseas and set foot in the United Kingdom eight days later. He immediately reported to No. 5 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU), where he was assigned to the Cape Breton Highlanders Training Company.
John spent the next two years training in the United Kingdom. On January 25, 1943, he qualified as a “Driver Class III.” Six days later, he was transferred to No. 7 CIRU, a step toward an assignment with an active unit. Around this time. John met Doris Violet Mobbs, daughter of Frederick and Maude (Woods) Mobbs, Islington, London, England. As the months progressed, the couple developed a close relationship. On October 16, 1943, John received permission to marry Doris “on or after December 13, 1943.” The young couple married at the Register Office, Reading, on February 18, 1944.
While John had been promoted to the rank of Acting Lance Corporal in mid-December 1943, he reverted to the rank of Private the day prior to his marriage. On March 16, 1944, he was transferred to No. 4 CIRU, where he remained for four months before being assigned to No. 3 CIRU on July 11. Two days later, John was placed on the reinforcement list for the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of Canada and reported to “Residue Camp.”
On July 25, John departed for France, landing in the Normandy beach-head the following day. On August 1, he was re-assigned to the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment (NSR). The unit traced its origins to the 73rd Northumberland New Brunswick Battalion of Infantry, a Canadian militia unit established on February 25, 1870. The Bathurst-based unit underwent several title changes before it was officially designated the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment on April 1, 1922.
While the unit recruited an infantry battalion—the 132nd (North Shore)—for service during the First World War, it never saw combat. Upon arriving in the UK in November 1916, the 132nd provided reinforcements until early 1917, when it was dissolved and its remaining personnel transferred to the 13th Reserve Battalion.
The NSR was placed on active service on September 1, 1939, and departed for the UK in mid-July 1941 as part of the 3rd Canadian Division’s 8th Brigade. Its personnel spent almost three years training and performing home defence duties in England and Scotland. During that time, the New Brunswick unit and its Brigade mates—The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (Toronto, ON) and Le Régiment de la Chaudière (Chaudière-Appalaches, QC)—prepared for an eventual Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Western Europe.
At 0630 hours June 6, 1944, the 8th Canadian Brigade’s Queen’s Own Rifles (QOR) boarded landing craft and came ashore at Bernières-sur-Mer as part of the first wave of D-Day landings. The North Shore Regiment was part of the second wave, boarding landing craft and heading for nearby Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer at 0810 hours.
The following day, the NSR pushed inland toward Tailleville and advanced as far as Cairon, northwest of Caen, by June 11. The battalion’s war diary commented, “This sector is fairly quiet and the troops are spending the time resting and cleaning their weapons.”
The NSR served a regular combat rotation throughout the Allied Normandy campaign. Its first major combat experience occurred at Carpiquet, on the outskirts of Caen, on July 4. While the unit successfully occupied its assigned sector of the village, personnel endured heavy shelling and repelled several counter-attacks after achieving its objectives. A total of 46 soldiers were killed and another 170 wounded during the operation and its aftermath.
While Canadian and British units liberated Caen on July 8 and 9, the NSR secured the village of Bretteville-sur-Odon on its southwestern outskirts. Ten days later, its soldiers cleared German forces from a steelworks located on the eastern bank of the Orne River while Allied forces secured a large area south of Caen. The New Brunswick unit was not involved in a series of attacks on Verrières and Bourgébus Ridges south of the city in late July, its soldiers enjoying several days at a rest area between Fontaine-Henry and Basly.
Private John Fred Clarke joined the NSR’s ranks during its time in rest camp. The unit trained for several days before beginning preparations for its role in Operation Totalize, a large-scale battle plan designed to achieve a decisive “breakout” from the Normandy beach-head. By early August, Allied units had been in Normandy for almost two months, during which they made minimal progress inland. It was hoped that the new operation, scheduled to commence during the night of August 7/8, would finally achieve a major breakthrough.
The plan called for British and Canadian units to launch a major push southward along a major road connecting Caen and Falaise. British forces were to advance on the eastern side of the road, with their Canadian comrades on the western side. The operation unfolded in three stages. The first—a night-time attack without artillery support—commenced just prior to midnight August 8 along a line from Fontenay-le-Marmion to La Hogue and achieved its objectives. Unfortunately, the second stage, due to begin during the early afternoon hours of August 8, would not unfold as planned.
While the North Shore Regiment was not involved in the operation’s initial stages, its personnel were part of an echelon of units moving forward behind the attacking forces. The men were roused from their beds at 0600 hours. One hour later, the battalion received notice to be ready to move out at one hour’s notice. Two notices of delay were received during the morning hours. Finally, the unit’s “recce” party headed for Cormelles at 1130 hours. Ten minutes later, the entire unit moved out toward the same destination.
Several kilometers ahead of the NSR, the second phase of Operation Totalize was about to commence. Prior to an attack by two armoured divisions, one British and the other the 4th Canadian Armoured Division, a fleet of 678 American heavy bombers—“Fortresses”—were to strike a series of strategic targets in front of the Allied force. A total of 492 of the planes managed to drop their bombs. Amongst them, two groups of 12 bombers mistakenly released their payloads short of their enemy targets.
An aircraft from one bomber group dropped its bombs in the Caen area, but did not cause significant casualties or damage to Allied units in the area. The other bombers in the group quickly realized the error and did not release their deadly cargo.
The second group of bombers, however, was closer to the Allied advance. One of its planes, badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire, dropped its load near Cormelles, well short of enemy forces, and its comrades following suit. The location was packed with Allied forces moving forward or waiting to advance.
3rd Canadian Division units were particularly hard-hit by the “friendly fire,” suffering 65 fatalities and 250 wounded. The North Shore Regiment was hardest hit, its convoy bombed while moving through Faubourg de Vaucelles, across the Orne River from Caen. The unit’s war diary recorded the details:
“At 1605 [hours] we were bombed by one of our own Aircrafts (Fortresses) and suffered casualties, 23 OR [other ranks] killed, 73 ORs wounded, and two officers (Lieutenants) wounded. Battalion moved after bombing to [a new location] and stayed on that position for the night. At 2240 hours[,] Brigade notified [the battalion] that no more reinforcements were available, but they were doing their best to obtain them.”
Private John Fred Clarke was one of the 73 soldiers wounded in the “friendly fire” incident. Rushed to No. 3 Casualty Clearing Station, he died of wounds before day’s end. Information in his service file describes the cause of death as “SW [shrapnel wound} mult pen [multiple penetration] chest.” John’s remains wers buried in St. Germain la Blanche Herbe Cemetery.
In response to an inquiry from the family, Canadian military authorities wrote to John’s father Alexander on October 12, informing him that that John Fred had died from “multiple shell fragment wounds to the chest.” On January 30, 1945, his remains were re-interred in Beny-sur-Mer Canadian Cemetery, Beny-sur-Mer, Calvados, France.
On March 10, 1945, John’s widow Doris also wrote to military authorities with a request: “I would like anything there is of my late husband’s to be sent to the above address [29 Lancaster Grounds, Southchurch Rd., Southend on Sea, Essex], hoping it will not put you to any inconvenience.”John’s service file also contains a document from the Canadian Department of Mines & Resources Immigration Branch. Dated June 7, 1945, it states that Mrs. Doris Clarke, widow, and child, were proceeding to the residence of Mrs. Alexander Clarke, mother-in-law, No. 4 Highland Drive, New Glasgow, NS.
John’s father Alexander passed away in St. Martha’s Hospital, Antigonish, on December 29, 1951, the result of congestive heart failure. According to an online genealogy source, Edith died on April 28, 1975. No place of death is indicated. John’s younger brother Frank passed away in Thorburn, NS, on March 16, 1981. His only surviving sibling, Lois, was living in Welland, ON, at the time of Frank’s death.
John’s widow Doris and her daughter initially resided in Goldboro, relocating to New Glasgow in 1975. Doris was a dedicated member of the Ladies Auxiliary, Branch 34 Royal Canadian Legion throughout her years in the community. She passed away at home on February 17, 2001, following a lengthy battle with cancer and was laid to rest in Brookside Cemetery, New Glasgow.
Photograph of Private John Fred Clarke's headstone courtesy of the War Graves Photographic Project.
No comments:
Post a Comment