Rank: Lieutenant
Branch: 56th Battalion; 49th Battalion
Clarence was born in Claremont, Ontario on November 1, 1881. In 1907 he moved to Edmonton and served as a supervisor of physical instruction in local schools. In 1909 Clarence filed on a homestead near Beaverlodge (NW 31-71-9-W6). In 1910 he married Mercy Elizabeth Grant. When Clarence joined the Canadian army in May of 1915, Mercy went with him to serve in England as a nurse. However, she returned to Canada when Clarence was sent to the front lines in France. Clarence was awarded the Military Cross while serving overseas. According to the Circumstances of Death Register, Clarence was hit in the stomach by an enemy machine gun bullet and killed instantly during an advance in the vicinity of Cambrai on September 29, 1918 .
In 1929, Mercy married Arnold Christie of Grande Prairie. She died in 1960.
Note: Follow the “War Diaries” link below. Clarence is mentioned on the following pages on 28 and 29 September, 1918:
p. 18: Commander of “A” Company
p. 20: Reported “A” and “B” Companies at 11:50 PM
p. 21: Company Commanders of both the “A” and “B” Companies were killed in action at 8:00 AM.
Source: Pioneers of the Peace p. 40
- Attestation Paper
- Lives of the First World War profile
- Canadian Great War Project profile
- Honored (June 15, 1915)
- Killed in action (Oct. 29, 1918)
- Military Cross
- Circumstances of Death Register
- Reported Location of Grave
- Canadian Virtual War Memorial
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- CWGC Register
- CWGC Register
- Find A Grave
- Blog Post
Soldier Spotlight highlights veterans from the Archives’ online Soldiers’ Memorial. Each week, our volunteers select a remarkable individual to showcase in this blog series. The Soldiers’ Memorial commemorates more than 1,100 WWI veterans and 2,300 WWII veterans from our region. Three dedicated volunteers have contributed over 1,200 hours to this project by researching and writing biographies. Our goal is to have all South Peace soldiers acknowledged for their service. If you know of someone who lived in the South Peace and should be listed on the Memorial, or would like to get involved by researching a local veteran, please contact the Archives.