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 Charles Clark was one of two sons born to Charles and Eleanor (nee King), who also had seven daughters. He was born in Hedge End in 1895 and at the age of 6 years lived in Bursledon Road. His father was a Market Gardener with his own account and by 1911 and at the age of 16, Charles junior is recorded on the Census as “son assisting father in Market Gardening” and the family are living in “Harefield”, Bursledon Road - his parents had been employed by William Gillett as a Groom and Domestic at Harefield Farm and subsequently chose this name for their home in Hedge End.
Charles enlisted for Short Service (For the Duration of the War) with the Royal Garrison Artillery Corps in Southampton on 24th November, 1914 and joined at Fort Rowner, Gosport the next day and subsequently transferred to the Border Regiment with the rank of Private on 8th June, 1915 and appointed paid Lance Corporal 26th November, 1915. The Border Regiment motto was “Evil be to him who Evil thinks”. Charles left home on 26th January, 1916 and served in France the following day, joining forces in the Somme Campaign.
During the Great War, Charles is recorded as a Lance Corporal with the Border Regiment, 2 nd Battalion and was killed in action, 5.75 miles east south east of Albert, on 1st July, 1916, he was 21
years of age. His final resting place Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz. 1 st July, 1916 was the first day of the Battle of the Somme, following very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley and other points Dantzig Alley was the name of a German Trench.
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