february 9th 1917 unknown to frederick william clarke

christchurch, hampshire to eastchurch, kent

123 miles

the message

“Well are you still on Earth no news of you hurry up and write you naughty boy everybody is wondering whats up have you forgotten all about us hope you are keeping well this filthy cold weather

L+K

from LTGF”

the sender

There are no clues to the identity of the sender. Presumably it was a girlfriend of Frederick, the recipient.

the recipient

Frederick William Clarke (1895-1917) was the son of Alfred Clarke (1866-1935) and Ann Milbourn (1864-1923). Alfred was a Jobbing Gardener in 1911.

Frederick was also a Jobbing Gardener in 1911, aged 16. By 1917 he was in the British Army, the Rifle Brigade to be more specific. At the time that the card was sent to him, February 1917, he was in the Eastchurch Camp in Kent. On October 7th 1917 he died from his wounds in Belgium. He never married.

the tree

the places

Christchurch, Hampshire to Eastchurch, Kent

Christchurch, Hampshire

Eastchurch, Kent

what the card says to us

The picture shows Kew Gardens and Palace (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kew_Gardens) in London. There does not seem to be a connection to the family or the message, except that Frederick was a jobbing gardener. The picture show a number of people enjoying the garden and one can speculate as to whether, as this is 1917, they and their loved ones survived WWI.

The address on the card enables Rifleman Clarke to be identified from his regimental number of 3946 although in some documents it is transcribed wrongly as 3146. It also reveals his regiment and location. Did the card ever reach him? Had we already gone overseas. Was that the reason for his lack of communication.

Within 8 months of the card being sent Frederick William Clarke had died from his wounds in Belgium.

We do not know who sent the card. Was it a girlfriend? Was she left behind? Did she get over Frederick’s death? We will probably never know.

This is a very sad card.