Rushden Officer in Big Push - Wounded and Sent to Blighty

  Mr. and Mrs. Charles Clark, of Wellingtonia, Rushden, have received news that their eldest son, Second-Lieut. Charles H. Clark, of the Trench Mortar Section, R.F.A., has been wounded in the great German push, and is now at No. 1 War Hospital at Reading.

  It is but a fortnight since Lieut. Clark returned to France after having been home on leave.  He has a period of three years’ service to his credit, having joined the ranks at Easter, 1915.  He had a narrow escape in the summer of 1916, during the battle of the Somme, when he was wounded by a shell, receiving shrapnel in the hand and a dislocated shoulder.  About six months ago he obtained his commission and had about four months in France before he was granted his recent leave.

  A younger brother, Second-Lieut. Tom Clark, of the Machine Gun Corps, was very seriously wounded last August, and has now received his discharge from the Colours, being incapacitated from further service.  He retains the rank of Hon. Lieutenant.

  Second-Lieut. Chas. Clark, in a letter received by his parents on Wednesday, writes:-

  “I am absolutely the most fortunate man alive.  I was right up the trenches, and got through five hours’ perpetual bombardment of 5.9s, 4.2s, pip-squeaks, and gas shells, much more severe than the old Ypres touch.  About 9 o’clock in the morning I thought I would go to the guns to see if anything could be done.  I had only just got outside and adjusted my gas mask when a 4.2 burst almost at my feet.  It wounded two of my men and knocked me down, but not even a little piece touched me.  It was so misty that we could not see a hand in front of us.

  “When the mist cleared I saw a German sniper just going to fire at us.  His first shot killed my gun layer, the second went through my corporal’s chest and the third through his ribs, poor chap.  I don’t think he can possibly live.  The old Bosche still blazed away, and as he was 180 yards away I could not get at him with my revolver.  His fourth shot passed by my head, the fifth went clean through my left arm, and the sixth missed me by inches.  I think he was put out of action by a shell, because the trouble stopped from his direction.  I fought for two hours with B Company, 7^th----------, and my arm became so stiff I was compelled to leave the field.  The Germans had shelled the Casualty Clearing Station with gas shells, and the nurses had to do their work with face masks on.

  “Well, I landed at the 8^th General Hospital, Rouen – (In the same ward his brother Tom was formerly in. – Ed., R.E.) – and came off to England next morning.  On the way our ship collided with and cut in half a 2,000-tonner.  We all thought it was torpedoed.  We got settled afterwards and sailed for port with our bows all smashed and with nine feet of water in the watertight compartments in the front part of the ship.  Thank God, I got home.  Nearly all our divisions must have paid the great price.  I have landed without a single thing, lost all my clothes and boots (I suppose some German has dry feet now).  Well the wound is clean, and I shall be all right in a month or six weeks.”