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The bells of this Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas were rung today as part of “Ringing to Remember” – the Durham & Newcastle Association of Church Bellringers First World War ringing commemoration. One hundred years ago today a bellringer from Bamburgh died. We rang to celebrate his life and the ultimate sacrifice that he made.

Private William Joseph Clark

William was born in March 1897, the youngest son and one of the five children to George and Elizabeth Clark of Radcliffe Cottages, Bamburgh, Northumberland. William worked in the family market garden business with his father in the Bamburgh Walled Garden leased from Lord Armstrong. He was a keen and valued bell-ringer in St Aidan’s Church. When only 17 years old, he tried to enlist to serve in the Great War, but was not successful so obtained work at Clark Chapman’s Munitions Factory in Gateshead until he was of age for the army and enlisted in Gateshead on December 26th, 1916 into the Coldstream Guards 3rd. Bn. Service No. 21177. He was admitted to hospital in France in January 1918 suffering from injuries to both his legs, having been burned by an exploding shell and spent his 21st birthday there in March 1918. He had just been discharged from hospital and had been in action for less than a week when he was wounded. He died in the 15th Casualty Clearing Station aged 21, on 14th. April 1918, of wounds received in action during the German Spring Offensives.

Commemorated at Ebblinghem Military Cemetery, France, Grave I A 26.

The Bamburgh Castle War Memorial, the Roll of Honour in St. Aidan’s Church Bamburgh, the plaque in the belfry at St. Aidan’s, on the ringers memorial plaque at Newcastle Cathedral and in the Central Council of Church Bellringers Great War Memorial Book below the ringing chamber at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London

William Clark we have remembered you