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Sgt James Clarke V.C.
Birth: Apr. 6, 1894 World War I Victoria Cross Recipient. A native
of Winford, Cheshire, after leaving school at age 14 Clarke worked at
a variety
MY daddy’s a hero... James Clarke hoists
one of his children on his shoulders. At first glance it looks just like the thousands of other silent tombstones in the cemetery, the final resting place of a man with a fairly common name. But this grave contains the mortal remains of the only Rochdale soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross, the nation’s highest award for gallantry. Sunday marks the 150th anniversary of the Victoria Cross, an appropriate time to reveal the full story of James Clarke, as Touchstones plans to do in a special exhibition which opens on 28 February and runs until July. To mark the anniversary, Touchstones will display, for the first time, a gold watch presented to Mr Clarke by grateful townsfolk. His VC is now in a private collection. James Clarke was born in Winsford, Cheshire, in April 1894. He began his working life as a farm labourer, moving to Rochdale in 1913 where he worked as a carter for Butterworth Brothers in Milnrow and then William Tatham and Sons engineers. He married in August 1915 and lived in Clyde Street, off Vavasour Street, before, in October of that year, he enlisted into the 6th (Rochdale) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. He was posted to the Western Front, where he rose to the rank of Regimental Sergeant Major. On 2 November 1918 he was in charge of a platoon which braved heavy machine gun fire to reach a well-defended ridge. In the action, RSM Clarke and his men captured four machine guns and single handedly bayonetted the crews. Later he led the remnants of his platoon to capture three more machine guns and many prisoners. The next day, after capturing more prisoners, he was able to hold up an enemy advance. The day after, in an attack on the Oise Sambre Canal, under heavy fire from the bank, he rushed forward with his team in the face of an intense barrage, brought his gun into action and effectively silenced the enemy. His citation for his VC read: "Throughout all the operation RSM Clarke acted with magnificent bravery and total disregard for his personal safety, setting an inspiring example to all ranks". On 1 February 1919 a large crowd welcomed him home to Rochdale, where he was presented with commemorative gifts including a gold watch. Days later he was presented with the Victoria Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace. Mr Clarke went on to attend reunions of VC winners in 1920 and 1929, while working as a stoker in Rochdale, but he lost his job when ill-health overtook him. With three children to bring up, his wife found work in a cotton mill while Mr Clarke bought a barrel organ, playing it around the streets of Manchester. His story doesn’t end there, though. In 1933 he went to London and was arrested by police for obstructing a footpath. Proudly wearing his medals at his court appearance, Mr Clarke was discharged on probation by the judge after hearing of his impressive war record. He returned to the family home in Milnrow Road and died in Birch Hill Hospital on 16 June 1947 at the age of 54. He was buried with full military honours at Rochdale Cemetery a few days later. In July 1984 his medals came up for auction at Christie’s where they were bought by a private collector for £8,800. The Victoria Cross was born in the carnage of the Crimean War, even though the fighting had ended a good year before. Since its inception the VC, founded by Royal Warrant on 29 January 1856, has been awarded 1,350 times. The youngest recipient was 15 and the oldest 69. Old photos of the First World War hero have
been given to the Rochdale Observer by Mr Clarke's great-grandson Richard. The group shot in uniform James Clarke is on the back row at the end of the left side.
Regimental Sergeant Major James Clarke was awarded the medal for outstanding courage while commanding a platoon of the 6th Rochdale of Lancashire Fusiliers on November 2, 1918, when he came under heavy machine gun fire in the French trenches of the Western Front. Despite this, RSM Clarke reached a well defended ridge, capturing four machine guns and single handedly bayoneting the crews. Later he led the remnants of his platoon and captured three more machine guns and many prisoners. The next day, after capturing yet more prisoners, he was able to hold up an enemy advance. His heroics continued on the day after, when in an attack on Oise Sambre Canal, and under heavy fire from the bank, he rushed forward with his compatriots in the face of an intense barrage, brought his gun into action, and effectively silenced the enemy. His citation for his Victoria Cross – the highest honour for military gallantry - read: "Throughout all the operations RSM Clarke acted with magnificent bravery and total disregard for his personal safety, setting an inspiring example to all ranks." RSM Clarke's medals, which were sold in 1984 to a private collector for £8,800, now form part of a collection owned by Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft, which is the largest number of Victoria Crosses in the world. In November Mr Clarke's medal went on display at the Imperial War Museum in London. RSM Clarke, was born in Winsford in April 1894. He began his working life as a farm labourer, moving to Rochdale in 1913 where he worked as a carter for Butterworth Brothers in Milnrow and then William Tatham and Sons engineers. He married in August 1915 and lived in Clyde Street, off Vavasour Street, before, in October of that year, enlisting into the 6th, Lancashire Fusiliers. In 1933 RSM Clarke moved to London. Later he returned to the family home in Milnrow Road, and died in Birch Hill Hospital on June 16, 1947 at the age of 54. He was buried with full military honours at Rochdale Cemetery a few days later. RSM Clarke is the only Rochdale soldier to be awarded a VC during the First World War.
Terry McCully writes Some more from Terry
The Plaque unveiling in Winsford
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