1888 Oct Born Northwich, Cheshire.
1891 census in Liverpool
1901 census in Liverpool
1904 Dec 15 Enlisted 5th Battalion Manchester Regiment with no. 279. Attested for 6 years into Militia, aged 17. Occupation Wheelwright, living Hayworth Road, LiverpoolHis next of kin was an older brother Richard Harry of 52 Priory St, Liverpool
1904 Dec 27. joined the 5th Battalion (Militia), Manchester Regiment, located at Ashton
1906 Aug. Resigned from the Militia to enlist as Regular in The Loyal North Lancaster Regiment, as 8701. aged 18. In 1906 the 1st Battalion, The Loyal North Lancaster Regiment was stationed at the Curragh, Ireland. At some point he went overseas with a draft to join the 2nd Battalion (In 1908 1st Battalion, The Loyal North Lancaster Regiment moved to Tidworth and in 1910 moved to Aldershot under command of 2nd Brigade, 1st Division)
(In 1906 the 2nd Battalion was in South Africa and in 1907 in Mauritius. In 1910 the 2nd Battalion, The Loyal North Lancaster Regiment arrived in India and was stationed at Poona/Bangalore)
1911 census serving with 2nd Loyal North Lancashire Regt at Ghorpuri Barracks Poona India
Returned to the UK between 1911 and 1914 and joined the 1st Battalion at Aldershot.
1914 Aug. in Aldershot. Under command of 2nd Brigade in 1st Division.
1914 Aug 12. Landed at Le Havre aged 26 with 1st Battalion, The Loyal North Lancaster Regiment
1915 Jul. Married Mary Ann O'Neil.
The 1st Battalion took part in the defence of Ypres at Langemarck and Gheluvelt in 1914, fought at the battles of Neuve Chapelle and Aubers RIdge in 1915; the Somme in 1916; and the battle of Arras in 1917.
1917 Jun. He was transferred as 207547 Private Herbert Cornelius Clarke, Labour Corps, from his new regimental number mostly likely with the 435th Agricultural Company, Labour serving in England. The Labour Corps was manned by officers and other ranks who had been medically rated below the "A1"(if only temporarily) condition needed for front line service. Many were returned wounded.
At some point after 1 March 1919 he transferred or re enlisted as 307 Private Herbert Cornelius Clarke into the 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment
A new numbering sequence started on the 1st March, 1919. These numbers applied to new recruits and transferees only. This sequence was made obsolete by the introduction of Army Numbers in 1920, the old method of allocating a 'Regimental Number' was scrapped for new recruits and a numbering system of 'Army Number' was adopted as per Army Order 338., the numbers in the range 3511001 – 3589000 were allocated to the Manchester Regiment; these were applied retrospectively and to new recruits. This number stayed with the soldier throughout his career, regardless of any transfers between units
In 1919 the 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment was stationed at Aldershot, England. On 1 April 1920 it left Aldershot and arrived in Dublin 2 April 1920 and proceeded to Ballincolig, Co Cork with billets also in Fermoy and Kilworth
1920 Aug 26. Missing at Ballincollig. Aged 32
Herbert Cornelius Clarke, first posted a deserter, then that was taken off his record.
1922 Aug 2. Medals issued after application being re-submitted after being rejected due to desertion
The Army had evolved a way of dealing with desertions by now. This is an example of how they wiped the slate clean for deserter . Note this is not Clarke, it just shows how the army dealt with deserters after the War
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1924 He seems to have joined the Merchant Navy in 1924 working as a Cook.
1941 Died Liverpool