Clifford Charles Bunn

A Corporal with the 9th Battalion, Clifford died on 21st of March 1918 at the age of 21. 

Clifford was born at Barnby in 1897, a son of Thomas George and Ellen Bunn. In 1901 his family lived at Beccles Road, Barnby, and this was still their address in 1911 when Clifford worked as a butcher’s boy. By 1919 his family were living at Syringa Cottage, Carlton Colville, and later his parents lived at Elm Tree Road, Carlton Colville.

Clifford was working as a fisherman when he volunteered and attested for the Army, at Lowestoft, on 12 September 1914. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 15426. On 25 September he was posted to the 3rd Battalion at Felixstowe. He as posted to France, arriving there on 26 January 1915, to join the 2nd Battalion. On 18 April 1915 the 2nd Battalion were in the line near Reninghelst. The battalion war diary records that two men were wounded. One of these men was Clifford who had gunshot wounds to his jaw/cheeks. He was, that day, admitted to 8 Field Ambulance then No 8 Casualty Clearing Station. On the next day he was admitted to the Australian Voluntary Hospital, at Wimereaux, and on 25 April he was evacuated to England via Hospital Ship St. Patrick. His service papers do not indicate where he underwent treatment, but do show him being on the strength of the Depot from 25 April. 

On 19 June 1915 Clifford was posted to the 3rd Battalion and he was then posted to the 9th Battalion, in France, arriving there on 4 October 1915. On 24 November 1915 Clifford lost a clasp knife, which he admitted, and had to pay for this ‘government equipment’ through stoppage of his pay. From 27 April 1916 he was attached to the 71st Trench Mortar Battery. Clifford received medical treatment for eczema on 15 November 1916. He was admitted to 1 Casualty Clearing Station with pyrexia (fever) ‘not yet diagnosed’ on 1 December 1916 and admitted to 13th General Hospital, Boulogne, on 2 December. He was discharged to the Convalescence Depot, Boulogne, on 22 December 1916 and, on 26 December, posted to 15 Infantry Base Depot (at Beauvarais [sic] Calais?). He rejoined his battalion on 23 January 1917. 

Clifford was appointed Acting Corporal on 6 May 1917, and he was absorbed in the strength on 71st Trench Mortar Battery on 21 July 1917. Clifford was awarded the Military Medal (London Gazette 18 July 1917, page 7276) and his unit is given as 9th Battalion Suffolk Regiment attached 71 Trench Mortar Battery. Clifford, and six other men, were presented with their medal ribbons by the Corps Commander, at Frevillers, on 8 August 1917. No citation for Clifford’s award has been traced, but, based on the activities of the 9th battalion in the preceding weeks, it is likely that it was for trench mortar work in support of trench raids. Clifford was transferred to the Norfolk Regiment ‘for the benefit of the service’, with service number 43768, and posted to the 9th Battalion 16 February 1918.

On 17 March 1918 the 9th Battalion relieved the 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment in the front line of the right sub-sector at Lagnicourt. At 5 a.m. on 21 March the enemy bombarded their positions with gas and heavy calibre shells. The bombardment obliterated the front line, support lines and string points. Owing to the ‘heroic resistance of our own men’ by noon the enemy had only managed to penetrate the front line and close support lines. A counter attack was launched and this, along with the resistance of men at Skipton Reserve, meant that enemy attacks were constrained to Lagnicourt and the flanks. Clifford’s name is included in the battalion’s roll of casualties in their war diary. 

On 21 March 1918, the 9th Battalion’s casualties were:
Officers: four killed; eight wounded; seven missing
Other ranks: 30 killed; 131 wounded; 170 missing

On 17 April 1918 Clifford’s father was notified that he was missing. During the next few months enquiries were made with the Red Cross, but it was concluded that Clifford had died on or since 21 March 1918 and his father was notified of this conclusion on 16 May 1919. 

Clifford’s brother, Roger, won the Military Medal in World War Two and was killed in 1944 whilst a Lieutenant in the Queen's Bays.