Clifford Bird

A Private with the 12th Battalion Clifford died on 12th of April 1918 at the age of 25. 

Clifford was born at South Walsham, Norfolk, in 1892, a son of Benjamin and Annie Bird. By 1901 his father had died and his mother remarried and his family lived at City, Barsham, Suffolk. In 1911 they were living at 2 Albert Cottages, Holly Road, Oulton Broad, and Clifford worked as a shipping clerk for a fish exporter. 

Clifford enlisted in the Army at Louth, Lincolnshire. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, number 2228. It seems that he was working for C. & E. Morton when he enlisted. Clifford was posted to France to join the 2nd Battalion. In 1917 he was renumbered 265345.   

On 24 December 1917 Clifford married Clara Jane Dyer at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft. He was 'on active service' and she gave her address as 5 Spurgeon's Score, Lowestoft. Subsequently Clifford returned to France and served with B Company of the 12th Battalion.

By 9 April 1918 the 12th Battalion were in reserve billets at Fleurbaix. That morning a heavy enemy bombardment began, and the battalion stood to at 7 a.m. to man defences including Durham Post, Abel Post to Limit Post (B Company), Moulin Farm and Canteen Farm. At 11 a.m. the whole line came under heavy machine-gun fire and several of the battalion’s Lewis Guns were put out of action: the fighting was severe and continuous. By 4.30 p.m., with both flanks in the air, the battalion withdrew to the vicinity of Fort Rompu. They then fell back toward the River Lys. At 10 a.m. on the 10th the battalion were subject to heavy enemy shelling and machine-gun fire and were driven back towards Erquinghem and fighting continued throughout the day. At 4 p.m. they were ordered to cross the River Lys and hold Erquinghem Switch to Lancashire Post and Wigan Post, but the enemy had also managed to cross the river. Early on the 11th they were ordered to Nieppe and, by this time, had formed a mixed unit with men of the 13th Yorkshire Regiment and details of the 20th Middlesex Regiment. At 8 a.m. they were dug in near the mill. At 2 p.m. they launched an attack towards Papot and La Rue Du Sac. This attack was successful, but 70 men were lost, and the battalion were ordered to hold their new positions until 8.30 p.m. when they withdrew. That night they marched to La Creche and then Strazeele, where they dug in and were again in reserve. The night of the 12th was quiet, but they were shelled, and their forward Lewis Gun post knocked out. 

The battalion’s casualties for April 1918 were five officers and 417 men.

Clifford was reported missing between 8 and 12 April 1918 and later presumed to have died on by 12 April.

See also Lowestoft St Margaret's War Memorial and C & E Morton Ltd War Memorial.