Captain William Spenceley Clark, the youngest son of William and Margaret Clark, of Whiteley Wood Hall, was born on 28th June 1892 at Rutherglen in Lanarkshire. William senior who had also been born in Scotland was the director of Vickers Ltd. William junior was educated at Glasgow High School, Dollar Academy where he boarded with the Headmaster. At school “he gained the esteem and regard of his masters” and was in the school football teams. He left school in1910 and in 1911 the census recorded that he was a medical student. However, he changed to engineering. In August, 1914, when war broke out, he was an engineering pupil at Vickers Works, as well as the University. He joined the University O.T.C., and in the following month received a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the Sheffield City Battalion which was being raised in the city. He was. promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1st November, 1914 and to that of Captain on 7th November, 1915.

The Battalion left England in the autumn of 1915, and after serving a short time in Egypt, was in France in March, 1916. It took part in the operations at the opening of the Somme campaign. Captain Clark was one of the first to fall. He was killed in action on 1st July whilst leading his men in the attack.

He is buried at Serre Road Cemetery No.2 in the Somme region of France and commemorated on the memorial at Fulwood.

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