Twice veterans of Ypres, the 1st Canadian Division moved southward to
the Somme on the first day of September 1916, and established
headquarters near the battered town of Albert. A few days later they
marched up the Bapaume Road, under heavy enemy shelling, and entered
trenches behind Mouquet Farm, to the south of Courcelette, where they
relieved the 4th Australian Division. This time the Headquarters were in
the shaky shelters of Tara Hill. As soon as the division arrived in the
new position the German artillery began to plaster the trenches with
every variety of explosive missile, hoping to shake the nerve of the men
from Ypres.
About half-past two on the afternoon of the 9th of September the 2nd
Battalion relieved the 4th Battalion in a trench on the right of the
Canadian position. The 2nd had been chosen to attack a salient of
German trench about 550 yards long, near the north end of Walker Avenue.
This salient lay between the Canadians and Courcelette. Before they
could attack the village, which was about a mile behind the German
trench, the danger of the salient had to be swept from their path.
The attack began that afternoon at a quarter to five. Only the first
three companies of the battalion made the assault, the fourth being held
in reserve; but when the attackers reached the German line they found
that our barrage had not reduced the resistance of the enemy to the
extent hoped for. Crowds of Germans were waiting to repel them.
Corporal Leo Clarke was detailed by Lieutenant Hoey to take a section of
the bombing platoon and clear out the Germans on the left flank. When
the trench was captured, Clarke was to join up with Sergeant Nichols at
a block which the latter was to build in the meantime.
Clarke was the first of his party to enter the trench, which was found
to be strongly garrisoned. His followers came close on his heels. They
bombed their way along the trench from bay to bay, and forced a passage
with bayonets and clubbed rifles whenever the need arose. But the odds
were heavy against the Canadians, and at length, with his supply of
bombs exhausted, Clarke found himself supported only by his dead and
wounded. He decided to build a temporary barricade to the left of where
Nichols was erecting the permanent block. As he was working at this, a
party of Germans, including two officers, advanced cautiously towards
him along the trench.
The officers urged forward their reluctant men, who had already
experienced more than they liked of Clarke's offensive methods. Clarke
left his work of construction and advanced to meet them, determined to
keep them at bay until Nichols had finished the job on the permanent
block.
His only weapon was a revolver. He emptied its contents into the mob,
picked up a German rifle and exhausted its magazine in the same target,
flung that aside, snatched up another and continued his hot fire.
As Clarke was thus employed, the senior German officer took a rifle from
one of his own men and lunged wildly at the Canadian. The point of the
bayonet caught Clarke just below the knee; but that was the officer's
last act in the war, for Clarke shot him dead where he stood.
There were still five Germans left. They turned and ran--and Clarke
dropped four of them as they dashed along the trench. The survivor,
shouting in excellent English, begged so hard for his life that he was
spared. Clarke had killed two officers and sixteen other ranks.
But for Clarke's action, Sergeant Nichols could not have erected the
permanent block, which was of vital importance to the security of the
Canadian position.
Though wounded in the back and the knee, Clarke refused to leave the
trench until ordered to do so by Lieutenant Hoey. Next day he returned
to his platoon in billets.
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