Clement Arthur Ormerod

Private 26972
6th Bn, Somerset Light Infantry

Clement Ormerod was killed on Saturday 16 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. The Somerset County War Memorial notes his home town as Stixwould in Lincolnshire.

At the time of the 1901 Census, Clement was living with his parents and siblings at 77 Hornby Rd, Blackpool. The details of the family taken at the time of this census are as follows.

By the time of the 1911 Census, Clement was working on the farm of his uncle, James Edward Marshall, at Blankney Downs, Stixwould.

Clement's brother, Rennie Ormerod, also died during the First World War, and is buried at Ste Marie Cemetery, Le Havre.

Clement has no known grave, and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 2A).

On 16 September 1916, 6th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry, formed part of the 14th (Light Division), 43rd Brigade, XV Corps. On this date the Battalion was involved in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette.

The weather on 16 September 1916 was recorded as fine and sunny. In The Somme - The Day-by-Day Account, Chris McCarthy notes that XV Corps attacked along the length of its line at 0925 hours. On 14th Division's front the creeping barrage was weak and inaccurate.

On the right of the Division's line, 6th Somerset Light Infantry came under fire from the German trench known as Gas Alley and made little progress.

An order to renew the attack at 1855 hours was carried out with no success.

The First World War Medal Rolls show that prior to joining the Somerset Light Infantry Clement was a Private with the Lincolnshire Regiment (Regimental No. 23117).

The Rolls show that Clement was entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

The Soldiers Died in the Great War Database records Clement's Regimental No. with the Lincolnshire Regiment as 9/23117. The Database records that he was born in Colne, but lived in Stixwould, Lincolnshire, and that he enlisted in the Army in Lincoln.

The Colne Roll of Honour notes that he was late of Wackersall Farm.