George William Valentine Clements

I have been looking for this soldier for some time .... would anybody happen to know anything about him please ??

Name: CLEMENTS, GEORGE WILLIAM VALENTINE
Initials: G W V
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Captain (Quartermaster)
Regiment/Service: 1st (Royal) Dragoons
Age: 85
Date of Death: 03/03/1916
Additional information: Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Son of the late William and Charlotte Clements, of Norwich; husband of Jane Elizabeth Clements, of 3, Chapel Field North, Norwich. Served in the Crimean War, 1853-56 (Alma, Balaklava, Inkerman and Sebastopol) and Turkish Medal. (One of the oldest know service deaths).
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 24. 167.
Cemetery: NORWICH CEMETERY, Norfolk

Thanking you in advance

Annie

 

Here I go again!!

1901

Violet Bank, Swainsthorpe, Norfolk

George Clements, Head, 70, Retired Capt Pay Army, Norwich Norfolk
Jane Clements, Wife, 49, Brackley Northants
Reginald Clements, Son, 15, Norwich Norfolk
George Clements, Son, 12, Norwich Norfolk
Elizabeth Paul, Servant, 20, Domestic Servant, Bawburgh Norfolk

RG13/1852 F 124 P 1

All Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

 

1891

Mossknowe House, Mill Hill Road, Heigham, Norfolk

George Clements, Head, 60, Retired Quartermaster Army (Hon Capt Coff) General Manager Cafe ??, Norwich Norfolk
Jane E Clements, Wife, 39, Brackley Northants
Reginald V Clements, Son, 5, Scholar, Norwich Norfolk
George W Clements, Son, 2, Norwich Norfolk
Amy Martin, Servant, 18, General Servant Domestic, Oakley Suffolk

RG12/1531 F 4 P 1


All Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

 

1881

Holly Ter, Unthanks Road, Heigham, Norfolk

George Clements, Head, 50, Wid, Capt Half Pay Late Roy Dragoons, Norwich Norfolk
Elizabeth Poll, Servant, 56, Mar, General Servant Domestic, Wicklewood Norfolk

RG11/1950 F 65 P 40


All Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

 

Clements, George William V
Weston, Jane Elizabeth
Marriage
Q September 1884
Brackley
Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire
Vol 3b
Pg 5

All Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

 

Found what I believe to be his first marriage - can't locate him from 1861 until 1881.

Clements, George William Valentine
Trowse, Annette Juliana
Marriage
Q March 1857
Marylebone
Vol 1a
Pg 610


Clements, Annette Juliana
Death
Age 50
Q March 1880
Chorlton
Lancashire
Vol 8c
Pg 538


All Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

 

Thanks Emma ... that's terrific !

After the Crimean War ... the British regiments went to Canada to be demobbed ... some of them stayed ... some of them went to America and fought in the American Civil War (1861–1865) !!

Could be that's where he's hiding from us !!

Annie

 

Hmmmm....sneaky!!

His two sons have records that are available...

 

Theres about 10 George W Clements in the Civil War database .... but nothing that includes Valentine ( which would be the clincher !! )

What's really good about the census is - that sometimes it gives you clues to regiments .... seems like he was still with the Dragoons ....... then still in the army for a " desk job " !!

Annie

 

George William Valentine Clements was my great, great grandfather. My line of family is from his second wife Jane Weston, we believe there were more children from his first marriage but are not sure what has happened to that line of the family.

George received a field commission during the Crimean war when he was made up to Captain, he fought in the charge of the heavy brigade among the other battles you have listed. We are not sure why he ended up serving in 1916 but are trying to find out (there has been work done on the history that I am awaiting). Again I am not sure what he was doing in the missing years but we don't believe he had connections with America, the family do have connections in British India however.

His two sons that you have listed are my Great Grandfather George and his brother Reginald who was better know as Rex and wrote a book called 'A Gypsy of the Horn' about his days on a Windjammer sailing around the world (still available). My Great Grandfather George served in the First World War in Turkey and what is modern day Iraq and we believe he was awarded the Military Cross and went on to liberate Baghdad. He served his time in the British Army and then joined the Indian Army going on to receive an OBE for his work with the Indian Prison Service; he retired to Jersey where he lived out his days.

George had four sons, one died young in India and the other three all served in the Royal Navy in the Second World War, my grandfather Noel survived being sunk on the Arc Royal and was involved in the sinking of the Bismark. Sadly his younger brother Brian was lost on HMS Turbulent off the coast of Sardinia and was awarded the DSO. The older brother who was also George was in Naval Intelligence.

Rex's son Alan Border Clements was killed around Arnhem and his brother Clement Clements was killed prior to WW2.

If you require any further information I shall try and find out for you, but we were unaware that according to some fora, George was the oldest man to die serving his country in WWI!

Hope this helps.

Dan Clements

 

Hi Dan and welcome !!

I'm not family but I came across George when I was researching Balaklava ! ( actually the Light Brigade ) and I loved the way his name rolled off the tongue !!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw he was included in the CWGC still in service in WW1 and decided I would try and find out about him !!

Thank you so much for replying ... I'd be glad to help you also if you'd like to pursue him further !

Annie

 

Just as an added note .... was your Grandfather in St Helier .... George Weston married to Dorothy Jex ?

 

My Great Grandfather was George Weston Clements but so was my great uncle - the Weston was added after the marriage to Jane Weston so if it is him it will be his second wife (his first my Great Grandmother died in India), but I will inquire with my father. I am awaiting his service documents which will be emailed to me next week as I am unaware what regiment he served in but I do know when he finished his military career he went to Bangalore.
Interestingly he used to receive a bill every year for a street he destroyed in what we believe was Baghdad sent to him in India, which he apparently ignored... All the records were spirited away to America after the death of my great uncle George.
If you come across any information on either of the Georges I would love to hear from you.

Dan

 

Hi Dan !

This is just a "quickie" .....

If you go into the Jersey Archives and add the name Clements ... you'll come across a few family things that maybe of interest and may lead you further in your research ! they can be ordered and sent to you !

http://www.jerseyheritagetrust.jeron.je/

I'll keep looking for your Georges and post what I find !!

Annie

PS I have family in Jersey too and the archives are superb and I can recommend them .... I was even able to get copies of court papers from 1849 !!

 

Hi Dan !

I asked Kyt to look up the Gazette for your family for me and this is what he's found so far ! ...

Mechanist Serjeant-Major George Clements M/16857 Army Service Corps

MC Gazetted 23 JUNE, 1915 (No citation)
MiD Gazetted 22 JUNE, 1915 (No Citation)

His medal cards are available for download:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...asp?Edoc_Id=6711793&queryType=1&resultcount=2

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...asp?Edoc_Id=1996911&queryType=1&resultcount=2

As for Brian, it was HMS Submarine Turbulent, not Turbulance

Name: CLEMENTS, BRIAN CLEMENT WESTON
Initials: B C W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M. Submarine Turbulent.
Date of Death: 23/03/1943
Awards: D S C
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 72. Column 3.
Memorial: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

And he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross not Order:

http://beta.gazettes-online.co.uk/issues/36028/supplements/2329

Heres a snippet about H.M. Submarine Turbulent .....

On 23 February 1943 Turbulent sailed from Algiers for a patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea. On 1 March she attacked and sank the Italian steam ship Vincenz. On the 11th she is known to have attacked the mail ship Mafalda. The following morning the anti-submarine trawler Teti II sighted the periscope and conning tower of a submarine and attacked, it is believed, without success. Turbulent did not respond to any further messages and did not return when expected on 23 March. It is thought that Turbulent fell victim to a mine off Maddalena, Sardinia .The wreck has never been found and any reference to its discovery is incorrect.

 

Sorry Annie, and Dan, I messed up. Ignore the above info I gave you about George. It was the wrong one!!

This is him:

George Weston Clements

Military Cross:
Lt. George Weston Clements, I.A.R.O.,- attd. l/101st Grenadiers, I.A. (EGYPT)
For conspicuous gallantry and dashing leadership on night of 12th-13th August,
1918, at the west end of Ghurabeh Ridge, when a company was held up by wire. He led a small party of men under heavy cross fire right on to the wire, which he cut and crossed. He then charged and captured the enemy machine gun which was firing down the wire, and killed two of the enemy with his revolver.
http://beta.gazettes-online.co.uk/issues/31158/supplements/1651

To be Additional Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order:

Major George Weston Clements, M.C., Superintendent, Central Jail, Cannanore, Madras
http://beta.gazettes-online.co.uk/issues/35184/supplements/3295

 

Thanks Annie,

I know a bit about Brian's history (still managed to get the submarine wrong I think the Captain was Tubby Linton VC and they were famous for the tonnage of shipping that they sank, sadly his brother George was tracking the submarine when it was lost and it had quite an impact on the family (he was 19). Brian is marked on the Portsmouth memorial, it was also the second time he had been sunk having survived the first time.

I will download the medal card so thanks for the link, also I checked out Jersey, the George you have found was my Great Grandfather and it is his second wife ( his first wife and my ancestor was an Enwright from Cork). In many ways his story might be most interesting so anything anyone can get would be appreciated.

Thanks for all your efforts it is great to be uncovering a the history, everything has been in snippets and verbal so it feels good to have some facts..

Dan

 

Dan,

don't download the medal cards. See post #16

K

 

Thanks kyt,

I had heard stories of what happened but it is great to see the real thing, apparently he had a revolver that he captured up until these things were made illegal...

I didn't know he was in Egypt....

Dan

 

Here's a Wiki about the 101st Grenadiers IA ..... I don't usually like Wiki but it will give you a little background !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/101st_Grenadiers

Annie