838492 Pte. Campbell Clark was born to Duncan and Maria Clark on November 2nd, 1894, in Bentinck Township, Ontario.
The Clark family owned a farm near Elmwood and Campbell was the second oldest boy and as such the farm would eventually be passed onto his older brother, if he wanted it. Knowing this may have been the catalyst Campbell needed to strike out on his own.
Whatever the reason, Campbell attesting to the 147th Battalion on January 6th, 1916, he was assigned to "C" Company under the command of Captain Dobie.
Billeted locally over the remainder of the winter the 147th Battalion mobilized in Owen Sound in the spring of 1916 and left for training at Camp Niagara. As the conditions in the Camp were wanting the unit moved to the new training facility of Camp Borden in late June. In September the unit received their orders to proceed overseas, but due to an outbreak of diphtheria they were detained in Amherst, Nova Scotia, for over a month. The unit finally sailed for Great Britain on November 14th, 1916, on the S.S. Olympic.
On January 1st, 1917, the 147th Battalion ceased to exist when it became the nucleus for the 8th Reserve Battalion.
On March 7th, 1917, Campbell was taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. and served with the unit during the Battle of Arras that saw the Canadian Corps storm Vimy Ridge.
As the battle continued onto the Douai Plain, the Battalion was found fighting near Avion. During the fighting Campbell Clark would be reported missing on April 23rd, and later he would be listed as "Killed in Action".
With no known grave Private Campbell Clark's service is remembered on the National Vimy Memorial and locally on the Durham Cenotaph.
Biography and image credits: George Auer