Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Clennan, one of 11 children of whom only 5 survived, was the 2nd born of 4 sons and had 1 elder and 6 younger sisters. His father Alexander Clennan was born, September 12th 1872 at Bells Close, Northumberland and married in 1892 in the district of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, to Ellen Richardson, born September 29th 1871 at Fawdon Farm, Gosforth, a suburb of Newcastle. Their son John Robert was born in 1892 at Red Row Farm, Westerhope, Jane in 1893 at Slatyford as was William in 1895, Isabella 1896 who died in 1897, Elizabeth 1898, Margaret 1899 and Mary Jane born in 1901 who lived less than 3 months. In 1901 the family was living at Slatyford, Kenton, where Alexander was employed as a hewer but had moved by 1911 into 3 rooms at Westerhope where John Robert (19) and William (16) had joined their father as colliery workers. During the previous 10 years Ellen had given birth to, but had also lost within a few months of their birth, a further 4 children, Nora 1903-1903, Florence May 1904-1904, James 1906-1906 and Alexander Oswald 1909-1909.
Upon the outbreak of war in 1914 all regiments created new battalions, part of Kitchener’s New Armies. William Clennan enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, assigned to the newly formed 18th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, October 14th 1914, as Private 1566, and began training at Newcastle, part of which entailed, after the issue of picks and shovels, marching every day to Benton to dig trenches. The first week was very competitive, the expert miners amongst them managed to dig down 4 feet 6 inches in an hour. After spending time at Rothbury and Cramlington, February 8th 1915 it officially became a Pioneer Battalion and in July joined the 34th Division at Kirkby Malzeard. Divisional training continued at Salisbury Plain and Sutton Veny until being taken over by the War Office, November 4th 1915. December 28th preparations were made for embarkation at Southampton and they departed January 7th 1916 arriving at Le Havre, on the 8th. Entrained the Division was sent on to the depot at Etaples and underwent a fortnight of route-marching as preparations were already underway for the commencement of the Battles of the Somme. The 34th Division departed from St. Omer for the Somme, April 18th 1916. British attacks began July 1st 1916, engaged at the Battle of Albert and Bapaume, capturing La Boisselle, July 4th. “B” Company on the 4th and 5th were given the task of burying the dead, then moved up to Becourt Wood and marched back on the 6th transferring to the 37th Division. July 11th “B” and “D” Companies went into the front line at Bienvillers to find gas cylinders in the trenches ready to be deployed against the Germans, which they were when the wind was favourable on the 14th and 15th. Ordered back on the 18th to Verdrei they were lent to the 63rd Division engaged in reopening old trenches destroyed in earlier bombardments, then on to Villers-Au-Bois working mostly at night as the Germans from certain high points on Vimy Ridge could see all they did and they sustained constant bombardment during the day. They remained on the Somme battlefields for the rest of 1916. January 26h 1917 they were moved to billets just north of Meteren until the 29th when they were moved again by bus to Robecq, from where they marched reaching on February 2nd, St Catherine a suburb of Arras. They participated during the battles of Arras in spring 1917 until they transferred to the Belgian salient in July 1917 for the commencement of the Battle of Passchendaele which lasted until November 10th 1917. When the Germans attacked again on the Somme, March 21st 1918 they were rushed back to France and as part of the Spring Offensive returned to Belgium and fought at the Battle of Lys also known as the 4th Battle of Ypres, April 7th-29th 1918.
Private 1566 William Clennan Northumberland Fusiliers died of wounds on the battlefield, April 14th 1918. He was brought to Proven, which, since July 1916, had been an area of Casualty Clearing Stations and Field Ambulances and had been chosen for a cemetery named by the troops as Mendinghem. Private Clennan was laid to rest within Mendinghem Military Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, Belgium, grave IX. E. 38. He was 23 years of age and single.
His father Alexander received all monies owed to him from the Army, his mother Ellen a pension of 7 shillings 6 pence a week as of October 29th 1918, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal were sent to their home address of Benson’s Buildings, Westerhope, Northumberland. His mother Ellen commissioned at a cost of 17 shillings 9 pence an additional inscription to be added to William’s military headstone, it reads, “Deep Within Our Hearts His Memory Forever We’ll Keep-Loved and Mourned By All”.
William’s brother also served with the 18th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers as Private John Robert Clennan, he survived the conflict but died in 1928.
Ellen Clennan nee Richardson died in 1939 aged 68 years, Alexander Clennan aged 70 years in 1942, both registered in the district of Northumberland South.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
William Clennan is remembered at Whorlton on W53.01 and in the Battalion History
