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35363 Sapper
HAROLD WILLIAM CLODE
Royal Engineers 

By 

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, BSAE P.E., MinstRE
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers(June 2026)

Figure 1. 35363 Sapper Harold William Clode R.E.
(Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum) 

1. INTRODUCTION

The Clode family sent five sons off to fight in the Great War of 1914-1918.  The men served in the Royal Garrison Artillery, Royal Engineers and the Infantry.  The service of one of the men was most interesting, as he served in the Royal Garrison Artillery, Royal Army Medical Corps and the Royal Engineers.  One of the brothers was wounded in action and one was killed.  While the majority of the information deals with Sapper Harold William Clode, R.E., summaries of the service of his brothers will be presented where such information could be located.

2.      EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

Harold William Clode was born in Battersea, London on 7 January 1886.  He was the son of James Clode (1851-1902) and Elizabeth Clode, née Bartlett (1854-1947).  James Clode was a Butcher by trade.[1]  The Clodes had seven sons: Harold William (1886-1970), Clifford Harry (1887-1887), Cyril Samuel (1889-1932), Bertie John (1884-1969), Alfred Bartlett (1891-1964), Benjamin Percy (1893-1962) and William Frank (1895-1917).  The Clode family lived in Battersea, with residences at 67 High Street[2] and 15 Rowena Crescent.[3]

Figure 2.  15 Rowena Crescent, Battersea, London.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

In 1911 Harold was working as a Post Office Sorter in Battersea.[4]  On 8 July 1911 he married Amy Eliza Stinchcombe (1884-1965) at Christ Church in Battersea.  The couple would have four children; one son and three daughters.

3.  ENLISTMENT AND TRAINING

Enlistment

            Harold Clode was recruited for service by Quartermaster Sergeant F.A. Major of the Army Post Office Corps[5] and he enlisted in the Royal Engineers Postal Section at London on 22 April 1915.  As a Post Office Sorter in civil life he was well qualified to serve in an R.E. Postal Section and had been recommended for this posting by the Postmaster General.  At the time of his enlistment, Harold and Amy were residing at 80 Melody Road in Wandsworth Common, London, S.W.

Figure 3.  80 Melody Road, Wandsworth.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth) 

            The following information was entered on Harold’s attestation paper on the date of his enlistment.

            At the time of his enlistment Clode was married and had time-expired prior service in the 24^th Middlesex Regiment (Post Office Rifles).  Following the approval of his Short Service Attestation, Clode was issued Regimental Number 35363 and the rank of Sapper.  

Training 

Following the administrative actions involved with his enlistment , Sapper Clode was sent off to the School of Military Engineering (S.M.E.) at Chatham for his recruit training.  With the exception of Drivers, every recruit enlisted for the Royal Engineers had to have a trade.  Pioneers and Sappers were sent to Chatham where they were trained for a year in infantry drill and pioneer duties.  During the summer every training company in turn went into a tent-camp at Wouldham near Chatham, where the recruits were taught camp duties, pontooning and other field engineering tasks.  The engineer recruits also received musketry training.  When the course of training was completed the recruits had to pass an examination and were then transferred to engineer formations, where they received higher pay and could earn extra allowances by working at their special trades.  Although it is not shown in his service papers, Clode’s training may have been modified (shortened) by the fact that he had previously served in an infantry volunteer regiment and that he was to be posted to an R.E. Postal Section.             Additionally, his posting to a postal section would not require that he be trained in pioneer duties or some of the other field engineering duties required by Sappers in field companies.

3.      POSTINGS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE

France 1917)

It appears that Sapper Clode may have been posted to the Army Reserve following his training, as he was not embodied for active service until 4 March 1917.  He embarked for service with the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.) on this date and arrived in France on the following day.  On 22 April 1917 he was awarded his First Good Conduct Badge.[6]

Italy (1917-1918)

            A Postal Section was created for the British Italian Expeditionary Force in Arquata, Italy and on 28 November 1917 Sapper Clode was posted to this section from France.  He served in Italy until 7 April 1918 when he was posted back to the B.E.F. in France.[7] 

France (1918-1919)

On 8 July 1918 he was granted 14 day’s leave in the U.K. after which he returned to his section in France.  Following the Armistice on 11 November 1918 Clode remained in France with his section to continue providing postal services to the troops remaining there.  In preparation for his demobilization from the Army, he was given a medical examination at Boulogne on 30 June 1919.  He was found to be in good health and did not claim any disability due to military service.[8]

NOTE:  An excellent description of the organization and mission of the Royal Engineers Postal Section may be found on The Long, Long Trail web site (Army Postal Service 1914-1919).  A link to this site is provided in the REFERENCE section of this narrative.

Demobilization

            In preparation for his demobilization, Sapper Clode was sent to his Dispersal Unit at Crystal Palace in London on 3 July 1919.  On 30 July 1919 he was transferred to the Class “Z” Army Reserve.[9]

4.      POST SERVICE LIFE

Harold William Clode returned to his civilian occupation as a Post Office Sorter for the Western District Office in London upon his discharge from the Army.[10]  On 21 June 1921 he received his British War Medal and Victory Medal for service in the war.[11]

By 1939 he was an Overseer in the London Post Office, Western District, London W.1.  He resided with his wife at 10, The Mount, Sutton and Cheam in the southwest corner of Greater London.[12]

Harold died in Worthing, Sussex on 5 June 1970.  Probate of his Will took place in London on 3 August 1970[13] with his effects of £2520 (approximately $67,200 US in 2026 currency) presumably going to his wife.[14]  His residence at the time of is death was 50 Palmer Avenue in Cheam.[15]

5. MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Figure 4.  The British War Medal and Victory Medal.
(Image from the author’s collection)

NOTE: The medals shown above are not those of Sapper Clode.  They are shown here for illustrative purposes only. 

Figure 5.  Great War Medal Index Card of Harold William Clode.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

293399 Corporal
CYRIL SAMUEL CLODE
Royal Garrison Artillery 

            Cyril Samuel Clode was born in Battersea, London on 16 December 1889.[16]  He enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery (Territorial Force) on 20 October 1915 and was posted to the 140^th Heavy Battery[17] with Regimental Number 2226.  On 1 August 1916 he went to France where on 7 August his battery joined the 15^th Heavy Artillery Group.  From his Medal Index Card it appears that his unit was incorporated into Kitchener’s New Army and his  Regimental Number was changed to 293399. 

            The specifics of Cyril’s service are not known, although the movements of his battery were found on The Long, Long Trail web site (see REFERENCES).  The following are the artillery groups to which the 140^th Heavy Battery was assigned while with the B.E.F.  The dates of assignment are shown, but the geographic locations of the battery could not be determined. 

            On 24 February 1918 the 140^th Heavy Battery was withdrawn from the line and was posted to a training camp.  Clode was discharged from the Army on 28 January 1919 with the rank of Corporal and on 30 January he was awarded the Silver War Badge No. B100613 for wounds received in action.[18]  His British War Medal and Victory Medal were awarded to him on 14 February 1920.[19] 

Figure 6.  Great War Medal Index Card of Cyril Samuel Clode.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com) 

            Cyril Samuel Clode died in Norwich, Norfolk in March 1932.[20]

74093 Lance Corporal
ALFRED BARTLETT CLODE[21]
Royal Garrison Artillery 

            Alfred Bartlett Clode was born in Battersea, London on 16 November 1891.[22]  On 7 December 1915 he attested as a Private in the Royal Garrison Artillery, Regimental Number 74093.  His Short Service Attestation papers show that at the time of his enlistment his address was 9 Aukland Road in Battersea.  He was 24 years and 1 month old at the time and was married.  He was working as a Commercial Clerk and he indicated that he had no prior naval or military service. 

            On 8 December 1915 Private Clode was posted to the Army Reserve Class “B”.  On 6 April 1916 he was mobilized for active service and was posted to the 21^st Company, R.G.A. on the Island of Inchkeith as an Instructor and Mess Caterer for his battery.  This company formed part of the Scottish Coast Defenses during the Great War.  Inchkeith was an uninhabited island in the middle of the Firth of Forth, situated two miles south of the Fife coastal town of Kinghorn and four miles north of Leith.[23]  On 17 April 1916 the headquarters of the 21^st Company was located (or relocated) at Leith.  Clode probably moved to Leith with the HQ section.

             During the research for Clode’s military service some pages of his service record were found, but many details were missing.  For example, no indication of his training could be found in his records.  It must be assumed that during the period from 8 December 1915 to 6 April 1916, while he was serving in the Class “B” Army Reserve, he must have received his basic recruit training as an artilleryman. 

             On 6 November 1916 Clode was appointed an Acting Bombardier and three days later he was appointed a full Bombardier.  He was made an Acting Corporal on 20 January 1917, but he reverted to Acting Bombardier on 21 April 1917.  He was again appointed an Acting Corporal on 3 July 1917 and then was reverted in rank to Bombardier on 26 July.  His record of appointments and promotions in rank is very confusing.   

            The National Roll of the Great War indicates that “when on draft for France he was detained for instructional purposes and rendered most valuable services in this way until August 1919, when he was demobilized.” Apparently he saw no active service abroad in any theatre of the war.  

            Alfred Bartlett Clode died in Greenwich on 26 December 1964.[24]

279218 Sergeant
BENJAMIN PERCY CLODE[25]
(97248 Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery)
(83953 Sergeant, Royal Army Medical Corps) 

            Benjamin Percy Clode was born at 67 High Street in Battersea, London on 13 September 1893.  By 1911 he was working as a Laboratory Assistant in Battersea.[26]  On 11 December 1915, like two of his brothers before him, he enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery.  On the day after his enlistment he was transferred to the Army Reserve. 

            Benjamin was called up for mobilization on 17 June 1916.  On 16 June he presented himself for a medical examination to determine his fitness for service.  The following information was taken from his Medical History form found in his service papers: 

            On 19 June 1916 Clode was posted to the Royal Garrison Artillery as a Gunner, Regimental Number 97248 and was initially assigned to No. 1 (Heavy and Siege) Depot of the R.G.A. which was located at Fort Burgoyne in Dover.[28]  He was then posted to the 13^th Company, R.G.A. on 27 June.  This company was based at Landguard Fort, part of the Port of Harwich Coastal Defenses during the Great War. 

            On 6 July 1916 Clode was transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Private, Regimental Number 83953.  He was posted to the R.A.M.C. Depot with a Corps Trade of Chemist.  It appears that this posting may have resulted from Clode’s qualifications as a Laboratory Assistant in civil life.  It is doubtful that he was a “Chemist”, but his laboratory experience must have been needed by the R.A.M.C. and could be better utilized in medical work rather than as a Gunner in the artillery.  At any rate the transfer was made and on 21 August 1916 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and transferred to the 35^th Company, R.A.M.C.  A rather meteoric rise from Gunner to Sergeant!  

            As the war progressed the British Army found greater need for anti-gas research and for men who had the qualifications to do such research.  Sergeant Clode appears to have been one of these men.  On 27 April 1918 he was transferred to the Royal Engineers in the rank of Sergeant for duty with the R.E. Anti-Gas Establishment, University College, London.  Then on 7 June 1919 he was posted to the R.E. Experimental Company at Porton.[29]  With these postings he did not see any active service abroad. 

            Clode proceeded to the Crystal Palace Dispersal Centre where on 16 September 1919 he was transferred to the Class “Z” Army Reserve.  He was discharged on 14 October 1919 with chronic bronchitis.  One wonders if his bronchitis was not brought about by his exposure to some gas or toxic chemical while he was serving at Porton Down. 

Clode’s home address at the time of his discharge was 34 Salcott Road, Wandsworth Common, London, S.W.  He died in Lewisham, London on 3 December 1962. 

Figure 7.  34 Salcott Road, Wandsworth Common.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

17755 Private
WILLIAM FRANK CLODE
Somerset Light Infantry 

            William Frank Clode was born in Battersea, London in April 1895.[30]  His date of enlistment in the Somerset Light Infantry Regiment is not known, but has been assumed to be sometime in early 1915.  According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Private Clode served in “B” Company of the 1^st Battalion, S.L.I. 

            When war was declared on 4 August 1914, the 1^st Battalion, S.L.I. was in the 11^th Brigade of the 4^th Division at Colchester, Essex.  The battalion went to France on 22 August 1914,[31] but Clode did not join the battalion until 20 July 1915.[32] 

            Private Clode and his battalion took part in the following battles in 1916: 

·         The Battle of Albert (the Somme): 1-13 July 1916.

·         The Battle of Le Transloy (1-18 October 1916).

For the Third Battle of the Scarpe Field Marshal Haig ordered the commanders of Third and Fifth Army to resume an offensive on 3 May 1917. This was in response to appeals from the French to keep the German army from moving troops further south as it was now clear that the Nivelle Offensive had failed and was being abandoned. Haig decided to launch a two pronged attack: the Third Army would attack along the Scarpe valley and make another attempt to capture Roeux (Third Battle of the Scarpe and the fifth attack on Roeux); and Fifth Army would attack at Bullecourt to the south. Ferguson's XVII Corps were involved in this battle, which started badly, in part because of a decision by Haig that the attacks along the whole front must start at the same time (at 0345 hours, just before dawn). This placed many units of the Third Army at a disadvantage as they had to advance over much more difficult ground than their comrades to the south and needed daylight. The result was considerable confusion with attacking units losing touch, or getting mixed up. In the Roeux area, the 12 Brigade (4th Division) advanced just to the east of the Chemical Works but were pushed back by German counter-attacks and artillery fire. Likewise, units of the 9th Division, on the left, had difficulty keeping direction and although some reached their objectives they were forced back, with some troops being cut-off. Once again, the attacks had brought few gains and only then at heavy cost.[35] 

Figure 9.  The Medal Index Card of Private William Frank Clode.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com) 

Figure 10.  The Medals Awarded to Private Clode.
(Image from the author’s collection) 

NOTE: These are not Clode’s actual medal.  The image is presented here for illustration purposes only.

REFERENCES:
Books 

National Roll of the Great War. 

Census 

1.      1891 Census of England (RG 12/430).

2.      1901 Census of England (RG 13/452).

3.      1911 Census of England.

4.      1921 Census of England.

5.      1939 Register

Civil Documents 

1970 Probate Calendar. 

Family Trees 

1.      Ancestry.com: Harold William Clode (by Adrian Cload).

2.      Ancestry.com: Cyril Samuel Clode (by Adrian Cload).

3.      Ancestry.com: Benjamin Percy Clode (by Adrian Cload).

4.      Ancestry.com: Alfred Bartlett Clode (by Adrian Cload).

5.      Ancestry.com: William Frank Clode (by Adrian Cload).

Imperial War Museum

Photograph Summary Data.
 

Internet Web Sites 

1.      Commonwealth War Graves Commission (William Frank Clode).

https://www.cwgc.org/search-results/?Term=William+Frank+Clode

2.      The Long, Long Trail: Royal Garrison Artillery Companies in the First World War.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-royal-artillery-in-the-first-world-war/royal-garrison-artillery-companies-in-the-first-world-war/

3.      The Long, Long Trail: Allocations of Siege Batteries to Higher Commands, 121^st to 140^th.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/allocations-of-siege-batteries-to-higher-commands-121st-to-140th/

4.      The Western Front Association: The Defence and Capture of Roeux, April - May 1917.
https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/2009/october/the-defence-and-capture-of-roeux-april-may-1917/

5.      Army Postal Services
https://www.reubique.com/aps.htm

6.      The Long, Long Trail: Army Postal Service 1914-1919.
https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army-postal-service-1914-1919/

7.      The Long, Long Trail: Depots and training units of the Royal Garrison Artillery
https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/depots-and-training-units-of-the-royal-garrison-artillery/

Military Documents 

1.      Medal Index Card (Harold William Clode).

2.      Medal Index Card (Cyril Samuel Clode).

3.      Medal Index Card (William Frank Clode).

4.      Royal Engineers Medal Roll: British War Medal and Victory Medal (Harold William Clode).

5.      Royal Garrison Artillery Medal Roll: British War Medal and Victory Medal (Cyril Samuel Clode).

6.      Somerset Light Infantry Medal Roll: British War Medal and Victory Medal (William Frank Clode).

7.      Silver War Badge Roll: (Cyril Samuel Clode).

8.      Allocations of Siege Batteries RGA. National Archives piece WO95/5494.
 

Periodicals 

Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers.  The Royal Engineers Journal, Institute of Royal Engineers, 1925-1932. 

Soldiers Service Papers
 

Harold William Clode
 

1.      Short Service Attestation (Army Form B. 2505).

2.      Descriptive Report on Enlistment.

3.      Casualty Form – Active Service (Army Form B. 103).

4.      Protection Certificate and Certificate of Identity (Army Form Z. 11).

5.      Victory Medal Issue Form (Army Form B. 511).

6.      Statement as to Disability (Army Form Z. 22).

7.      Medical History.

8.       Approval of Postmaster General Notice.
 

Aldred Bartlett Clode 

1.      Short Service Attestation (Army Form B. 2512).

2.      Casualty Form – Active Service (Army Form B. 103).
 

Benjamin Percy Clode 

1.      Medical History (Army Form B. 178).

2.      Particulars of a Claim made on Army Form Z. 22).

3.      Award Sheet – First Award (Code Number 2/RE/22618).

4.      Casualty Form – Active Service (Army Form B. 103).

5.      Service and Casualty Form Part II (Army Form B. 103-II).

ENDNOTES