Arthur Alfred Clarke. Died 27th March 1919
Arthur was one of the 10 children of Sarah Elizabeth and James Clarke and in 1911 lived with his parents and elder sister Annie at Beggars bush cottage, Pinewood, Wokingham. He worked as a labourer.
After the war started he enlisted in Wokingham into the Royal Berkshire Regiment. (number 25025)
We read from his papers that he was 5 foot 8 1/2 inches tall and weighed 140lbs. His eyes were blue and his hair brown.
In June 1917 he transferred to the Devonshire regiment (number 64277). He had seen service in France with the Berks and once again went there with the Devons from May 1917 to June 1918. At some time during this period he transferred yet again to the labour Corps (number 128250).
Sadly by now he was not well and spent 3 months in University College Hospital in the summer of 1918 before being sent to convalesce in Eastbourne. He was however coughing up blood and was sent to the military hospital there from where he was discharged from the Army as being medically unfit on 6th September 1918. He was now suffering from TB.
We imagine he then went home which was now 76 Peach Street, to his wife Annie Elizabeth (married on 06-11-1911) and children Arthur James ( born 17-05-1912) and Elsie ( born 26-09-1914). He died on 27th March 1919.
We cannot find a commonwealth war grave, he may be buried in one of our churchyards in Wokingham.