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Pte. George William Burdett Clare VC.
British Army 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers
(d.28th Nov 1917)
George Clare was killed in action on the 28th of November 1917, he is commemorated on the The Cambrai Memorial in France and was the son of George and Rhoda Clare. He was born at St. Ives, Huntingdonshire.
An extract from the London Gazette, dated 8th Jan., 1918, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty when, acting as a stretcher-bearer during a most intense and continuous enemy bombardment, Pte. Clare dressed and conducted wounded over the open to the dressing-station about 500 yards away. At one period when all the garrison of a detached post, which was lying out in the open about 1 50 yards to the left of the line occupied, had become casualties, he crossed the intervening space, which was continually swept by heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, and, having dressed all the cases, manned the post single-handed till a relief could be sent. Pte. Clare then carried a seriously wounded man through intense fire to cover, and later succeeded in getting him to the dressing station. At the dressing-station he was told that the enemy was using gas shells to a large extent in the valley below, and as the wind was blowing the gas towards the line of trenches and shell-holes occupied, he started on the right of the line and personally warned every company post of the danger, the whole time under shell and rifle fire. This very gallant soldier was subsequently killed by a shell."
