WW1 Royal Artillery Officer Photograph 1st July Casualty Named

WW1 Photograph of 2nd Lieutenant Eric Henry Lloyd Clark who was reported missing on the 1st July 1916. He was born on the 19th May 1897 and was the son of Francis John and Lily L Clark of 12 Albermale road Beckenham, Kent. He was educated at St Lawrences College, Ramsgate where he was a member of the O.T.C. He was commissioned into the 3rd North Midland Brigate RFA in September 1915. Eric was involved in the diversionary attack at Gommecourt as a forward observation officer to sport for the artillery. He was one of two forward observation officers killed in action opposite Gommecourt Wood attached to the 46th Division. His body has still not been found and is remembered on the Thiepval memorial. 

Further research has emerged a letter from 3134 Pte H Ulyat to Captain Gatch's father which states that 'our party consisted of Major Hind (CO 1/7th Sherwood Forresters), your son, myself, my chum and two signallers whos job was to peg the line down as we unrealed it; and on the way across we passed three artillery men and one officer also laying wire. All went well and there was no looking back, but god how the bullets and shells did scream and I gave myself up but kept on pegging away until we got to the German wire and then the band began to play in real earnest. The young RFA officer suddenly turned a somersault and lay still, my chum ducked and got one in the eye.' 

Due to the fog of war, it is not certain which Artillery Officer Pte Ulyat is referring to however what is certain is that Eric was in the inferno and disaster that was the 1st July 1916.

The picture is around A4 size and has the original glass and frame surrounding it.