14393 Private, 16th (Waikato) Company, 1st Battalion Auckland Regiment, 1st Infantry Brigade, New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
Age: 24
Date of death: 5/10/17
Buried: Nine Elms British Cemetery II.C.6
Family history: Son of William and Helen Clark, 14 Park Crescent, Parnell, Auckland. Before emigrating to New Zealand they lived at Dundas Street, Grangemouth. Neil was employed as a Waterside Worker before he enlisted on 7 March 1916 and on completion of his training he embarked on 26 June 1916 with the 14th Reinforcements, ‘A’ Company, Auckland Infantry Battalion and landed in Devonport on 22 August. He joined the 1st Battalion in the field on 3 October 1916 from the base camp at Etaples. He was wounded twice in 1917, minor gunshot wound to the head on 7 June, returning to the Battalion on 12 June, and wounded on 22 June, gunshot wound to the hand, and returned to the Battalion on 28 June.
Action leading to his death
In a state of readiness report about the Battalion contained in the War Diary and written by Lieutenant Colonel Walter William Alderman, who had taken over command, he did not mince his words on the state of the Battalion.
Lieutenant Colonel Walter William Alderman
In November 1913 Alderman went to Auckland for exchange duty with the New Zealand Military Forces. His promotion to captain came in July 1914, and when war broke out he joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force as adjutant of the 1st Auckland Battalion. His unit sailed with the first Australian convoy, and Alderman was wounded at the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. He rejoined his battalion in August, was promoted major and was in charge of one of the last detachments to leave Anzac Beach on 20 December. For his services in the Gallipoli campaign he was appointed C.M.G. in June 1916. He spent a year in England, briefly serving at New Zealand headquarters and then commanding and training the reserve battalions. He returned in August 1917 to the 1st Auckland Battalion and led it throughout the Third Ypres offensive
1st Battalion Attack on 4 October 1917
Alderman considered his Battalion to be ‘.. 65% efficient as a fighting unit’ when they assembled for an attack on the 4 October 1917. The Anzac assault on Gravenstafel and the Bellevue Spur. They attacked the German lines from Cluster Houses in front of Wurst Farm and Aviatik Farm. The Germans heavily shelled the New Zealand line however, they avoided casualties by the good fortune of the assembly tapes being forward of their line. They advanced and at Dear House they were held up by machine gun fire but this pillbox was cleared. They next came under fire from the pillboxes at Winzig which threatened to halt their progress however, they diverged onto the front of the 48th Division where they captured in turn Winzig, Albatross Farm, and Winchester in addition to some 250 prisoners. During this attack Neil received gunshot wounds to the left arm and abdomen and died at No.44 Casualty Clearing Station at Nine Elms.
Medals Awarded
British War Medal
Headstone
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