CORPORAL WILLIAM CLAMP FORMERLY PRIVATE WILLIAM CLAMP OF THE 6TH BATTALION THE CAMERONIANS (SCOTTISH RIFLES) .

His award was gazetted on 19 December 1917. At the time of his award he was serving with the 6th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment.

He was born in Motherwell, Lanarkshire on 28 October 1892. He joined the 6th Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in January 1914 and went with that territorial battalion to France. The battalion saw heavy fighting at Aubers Ridge and Festubert in May and June 1915 and he was severely wounded twice. After leaving hospital for the second time he was drafted (in January 1917) to the 6th Yorkshires.

On 9 October 1917 at Poelcappelle. Belgium, when an advance was checked by intense machine-gun fire from concrete blockhouses and by snipers in ruined buildings, Corporal Clamp dashed forward with two men and attempted to rush the largest blockhouse. His first attempt failed owing to the two men with him being knocked out but he at once collected some bombs [grenades] and, calling two men to follow him, again dashed forward. He was first to reach the blockhouse and hurled his bombs, killing many of the occupants. He then entered and brought out a machine-gun and about 20 prisoners whom he brought back under heavy fire from neighbouring snipers. The non-commissioned officer then again went forward encouraging and cheering the men and succeeded in rushing several snipers ‘posts. He continued to display the greatest heroism until he was killed by a sniper. His magnificent courage and self sacrifice was of the greatest value and relieved what was undoubtedly a critical situation.

His body was never found. His name appears on the Tyne Cot Memorial near Passchendaele in Belgium. He is also immortalised by the naming of a street in Motherwell, and a gold medal was awarded annually in his name at his old school nearby”.

William Clamp’s medal is in the museum of The Green Howards, Richmond, Yorkshire.