Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Memorial Plaque 1914-18 (Albert Clark) good very fine £200-300

Albert Clark was born on 24 March 1896, the son of William Wootton and Mary Ann Clark of The Old Brewery, Stambridge, Rochford, Essex. A motor engineer by occupation, he enlisted into the R.N.A.S. on 15 April 1915. Serving as a Petty Officer (Mechanic) in the Armoured Cars Force, Royal Naval Air Service, was killed in action in Gallipoli on 4 September 1915, aged 19 years. Having no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Helles Memorial.

Sold with a wallet, inscribed in ink, ‘P.O. A. Clark 4030 F.4059 R.N.A.S., Squadron 9’, three photographs of the recipient and his pocket diary for 1915. This inscribed in pencil and named to ‘P.O. A. Clark, 4030, F.4059, R.N.A.S., Squad 9 Section A, or 19 Harcourt Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex.’ Mostly unused until June, though the entry for 15 April reads, ‘Signed on R.N.A.S.’ The entries begin in earnest on 23 June, ‘Met Stan & went to Paddington’, and continue with entries each day concerning the journey by sea to Gibraltar and thence to Alexandria, arriving there on 10 July. On 22 July he sailed from Alexandria, arriving at Lemnos on 25 July. The following day he saw his first experience of war at Cape Helles. 27 July - ‘Saw aeroplanes fired at in air ... some shells in water round boat & on land. Left Cape Helles at 1.30 & arrived again at Lemnos & unloaded, some wounded brought from Cape Helles.’ 4 August - ‘On fatigue party down on shore & embarked about 4 on S.S. Nitonian armoured cars etc on board.’ 5 August ‘.. at work moving cars etc ..’ 18 August - ‘Got kits ready & put 4 Fords on ship alongside and embarked about 2.30 on the ‘Osmanieh’. Went to other boats in harbour & more troops came aboard. Went out of harbour about 8.30 ..’ 16 August - ‘Landed in Sulva Bay about 6. Lot of shelling going on, not in our direction at present. Shells falling all about us, had to shift 3 times, twice during breakfast ... battleships returned fire over our heads.’ 20 August - ‘Got up fairly late, fatigue party, had near shave from shrapnel, Doctor about 3 yds off had hat knocked off ...’ 21 August - left about 7.30 for firing line, terrific bombardment ... battleships sent over a lot of shells’ 22 August - ‘Had to go up to firing line ... lot of shrapnel over & wounded ...’23 August - Thousands of troops landed since we came up , have shrapnel over every day. Had to go up to trenches with officer’s kit ... others carry their own’ 31 August - Morn, Had shrapnel over just after breakfast, small piece touched my thigh & arm, could only just feel them luckily ...’ 1 September - ... Had terrible bombardment & attacks. Hell. Going up for bacon when it started so sheltered in C.P.O. dugout, when got back found out dugout blown in ...’ Saturday, 4 September ( the day of his death), ‘Morn, Had a terrific shelling, knocked down part of sandbag barricage. Aft. ... set light to bushes outside trenches to move snipers. .. Fried some fresh meat for dinner & had some rice.’