1914-1918 First World War Centenary

21 October 2018

“THE PATH OF DUTY WAS THE WAY TO GLORY”

William Clapp was born on 25 October 1893 and baptised at Sidmouth, Devon, the son of Louisa Isabella Clapp and her husband the Revd. William John Clapp. He had three sisters Mary, Amelia and Florence and a younger brother, John Henry Clapp.  Both boys attended boarding school in Brighton and served in the First World War.  

William attended Harper Adams Agricultural College from 2 March 1912 to 20 Dec 1913 with the intention of farming at home.

He served with the Norfolk Yeomanry from 1915 until his death on 29 April 1917, age 23, and is remembered with honour at Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun (Cemetery/memorial reference: III. H. 38)

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/169033/clapp,-william-gilbert-elphinstone/

https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/4300/duisans-british-cemetery,-etrun/

The area around Duisans was occupied by Commonwealth forces from March 1916, but it was not until February 1917 that the site of this cemetery was selected for the 8th Casualty Clearing Station. The first burials took place in March and from the beginning of April the cemetery grew very quickly. Most of the graves relate to the Battles of Arras (9th April to 16th May 1917), and the trench warfare that followed. There are now 3,207 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated at Duisans British Cemetery. There are also 88 German war graves.