Ernest Clark
Memorial: Kingswood - Holy Trinity Church
Regiment: Royal Navy
Medals: 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Ordinary Seaman J/40948
Parents: Alfred Henry and Charlotte Clark
Home address: Tower Road, Kingswood, Bristol
Date of birth: 24/01/1899
Place of birth: Kingswood, Bristol
Date of death: 18/09/1917
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial, Kingswood Holy Trinity Memorial, Kingswood Methodist Memorial and Kingswood High Street Boys School Memorial
Age: 18
Further information:
Ernest was born in Kingswood the son of a bootmaker and a middle child of six with three sisters and two brothers. His eldest brother Gervase, who was in the Army, died the year before Ernest, also in the service of his country.
Ernest enlisted in the Navy on his 18th birthday and at the time was described as 5' 8" tall with brown hair, brown eyes and a fresh complexion. In the nine months leading up to his death he served on several ships including the Impregnable and the Vivid I. On September 18th, 1917, he was serving aboard the British destroyer HMS Contest when it was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-106, in the Western Approaches of the Channel, while assisting the torpedoed steamer City of Lincoln. There were 35 casualties including Ernest and the 60 survivors were picked up by the damaged City of Lincoln and taken to port.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx/10759