1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own)
John Charles Clapham was born in Cheltenham in August 1887. He was the son of William Edwin and Agnes Maria Clapham and had three brothers and three sisters. On 2 August 1915 he married Frances Taylor at St Paul’s Church, Cheltenham and they lived at 29 Victoria Street, Cheltenham.
On 8 December 1915 he attested for military service (for the duration of the war) at Cheltenham and gave his age as 28 years and 4 months. He stated his profession to be a ‘peltmonger’(?).
Unusually Clapham’s Army Service Record survives at the National Archives and from this it is possible to trace the significant events of his military career.
Following attestation, there was a period of almost six months before army service commenced. Initially Clapham was posted to the Gloucestershire Regiment and given the regimental number of 28489 He served at home with them until 30 November 1916. On 1 December 1916 he transferred to the 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade and landed in France on the following day. He joined up with his new unit in the field on 10 December 1916.
The winter of 1916/17 was extremely cold and wet and Clapham suffered from trench foot, as did many others. He was treated for this at 135 Field Ambulance on 23 March 1917 and returned to duty on 4 April. On 7 July he was wounded in action, suffering what were probably shrapnel wounds to his right leg and left arm. He was initially treated at 55 Field Ambulance before transferring to 1 Canadian Hospital at Etaples, from whence he was repatriated by hospital ship and stayed for the period 13 July to 30 August at 1 Birmingham War Hospital. A period of sick furlough was then granted and on 23 October he was placed on the strength of 6th (Reserve) Battalion of the Rifle Brigade.
It appears that he returned to France on 29 January 1918 and rejoined 1 Rifle Brigade. It appears that he was out of action again from 6 to 20 April and on 25 May had to receive treatment in 11 Field Ambulance and 6 (?) Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) in respect of boils. On 28 May he was treated at 30 CCS for a carbuncle. He returned to duty on 12 June and was back with 1 Rifle Brigade on 26 June.
On 2 September he was again wounded in action. This time it was a serious gun shot wound to the back which had penetrated a lung. After treatment at 33 CCS he transferred to 3 Australian General Hospital, Abbeville on 5 September and two days later was on board the AT Princess Elizabeth back to England. He was taken to the Military Hospital at Endell Street, London WC2. He never recovered from his wounds at died at 2am on 18 September 1918, with his wife and mother present. He was aged 31. He was buried in Cheltenham Borough Cemetery and commemorated on the Cheltenham War Memorial and also those at Charlton Kings, St Paul’s Church and St Mary’s Church. His wife was granted an Army pension, in rest of her bereavement and later went to live in Dover.
Researched by Graham Adams 15 February 2012