Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Benjamin Castledine Clare a house painter and decorator, born on the 6th August 1863 in Leicester and baptised on the 12th December 1920 in the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, Glen Parva and South Wigston, Leicestershire (son of William Castledine Clare, 1833-1893 and Elizabeth Bassell) and his wife Edith Annie Clare (nee Orme, married in the April quarter of 1889 in the Blaby, Leicestershire district), born in the January quarter of 1871 in Leicester. Oliver Cyril Henry, was born in the April quarter of 1898 in South Wigston, Leicestershire, his siblings were, Dyson Neville, born in the October quarter of 1890, Dorothy May, born in the April quarter of 1892 and Annie Elizabeth, born in the October quarter of 1894, the latter three siblings were all born in Leicester, in March 1901 the family home was at 57, Kirkdale Road, Wigston Magna, Leicestershire. In April 1911 Oliver was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at 49, Blaby Road, South Wigston, together with his father, a painter and decorator, his mother and siblings, Dyson, a shoe trade worker, Dorothy, a shoe trade machinist and Annie, a hosiery trade mender.
Oliver enlisted/attested into the Territorial Force on the 22nd March 1915 in Leicester, and was allotted the service number 4161. He gave his trade or calling as turner, his present employer was the British United Limited, Leicester.
His medical examination recorded that he was 5 feet 10 inches in height, weighed 130 lbs, had a chest measurement of between 31½ and 34 inches, his physical development was described as good.
During his period of military service, the following events of note occurred: -
Enlisted. 22/3/15.
Posted 2/4th Bn. Leicestershire Regt. Pte. 22/3/15.
Posted 1/4th Bn. Leicestershire Regt. Pte. 15/8/15.
Embarked. Southampton. 19/8/15.
Disembarked. Rouen, France. 20/8/15.
Joined unit in the field. Posted to “C” Company 14/9/15.
Reported missing in the field. Death accepted for official purposes to be the 13/10/15.
Struck off Bn. Strength 10/12/15.
Presumed died on active service 13/10/15.
He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Oliver’s surviving service record amounts to a total of 14 pages, and these are in poor condition, the hand written information in some cases is barely legible, damaged or missing entirely, however the content does offer at least a little descriptive insight into some of the events that took place during his period of service.
The War Diary records. 12 Oct-15 - At 9.00 am Battalion marched to SAILLY LABOURSE. Dinners and teas were cooked here. Rations for 134 men issued. At 5.15 pm Battalion marched to VERMELLES where stores were taken up. At 11.00 pm Battalion arrived in trenches.
The War Diary records. 13 Oct-15 - At noon our artillery started to bombard. At 1.00 pm our smoke and gas started. At 1.50 pm smoke and gas stopped. At 2.00 pm artillery lifted and Battalion assaulted the HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT. Lieutenant Colonel R. E. MARTIN was wounded early but remained in the fire trench directing operations for nearly 24 hours and until -?- to the dressing station by Brigadier General KEMP. All officers of the Battalion either killed or wounded.
The War Diary records. 14 Oct-15 - In the evening the Battalion was relieved by part of the 139th Brigade and went back to the LANCASHIRE TRENCH. Roll call revealed that 188 NCO’s and men returned.
The Official History of the War – Military Operations (France and Belgium 1915 Volume II) provided the following statistics for the 1/4th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, officers killed 20, other ranks killed 453. Total losses for the day were 138th Brigade 64 officers and 1,476 other ranks. 137th Brigade 68 officers and 1,478 other ranks.
On Wednesday, October 27th,1915 The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – LOCAL CASUALTIES. – Pte. CYRIL CLARE, 1st/4th Leicester’s, youngest son of Mr. B. C. Clare, of Blaby-road, South Wigston, is reported to be missing after the charge on October 13th. He enlisted in March, and had been in France about five weeks. Before joining the colours he was employed by the British United Shoe Manufacturing Co., Belgrave-gate, Leicester.