TOPIC:

QSA: CAPE COLONY, PAARDEBERG, DRIEFONTEIN, TRANSVAAL - 3589 TPR E.T. CLARKE. KITCHENER’S HORSE.

Ernest Taylor Clarke was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England in 1873. He was residing in South Africa when the Boer War occurred and served with Kitchener’s Horse as a Trooper from 9/2/1900 – 29/8/1900. He was taken prisoner of war at Waterval Drift on 15/02/1900. He appears in the casualty lists dated 11/5/1900 as seriously ill with typhoid fever. He was medically discharged on 29/08/1900.
He also appears on the rolls of the Provisional Transvaal Constabulary as serving with them from 14/6/1900 – 26/7/1900. Trooper A. Clarke 3588 is on the same roll with the notation "medal issued to his brother". Based on the consecutive serial numbers it would appear that E.T. Clarke is his brother.

On the 12/02/1900 a squadron of Kitchener's Horse was left at at Blaauwbosch Pan, about eight miles north-east of Dekiel's Drift, on the Riet, in order to protect the wells until the infantry, who were following, should arrive. Unfortunately, the infantry took a different course, and instead of them a large force of Boers turned up, who attacked the squadron and compelled their surrender after they had made a very creditable defense in a farmhouse for two days. It is unknown when he was released by the Boers.