A First War Medal Pair to Private Clark, 25th Battalion; Wounded September 1918

British War Medal (877747 PTE. F.T. CLARK. 25-CAN.INF.); and Victory Medal (877747 PTE. F.T. CLARK. 25-CAN.INF.). Naming is officially impressed. Mounted to a suspension with swing bar pinback, as worn by the veteran, original ribbons, dark patina on the BWM, gilt wear on the VM, light contact, near extremely fine. Footnote: Fred Theodore Clark was born on June 14, 1885 in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, the son of William Henry Clark and Catherine Clark. He enlisted on March 23, 1916, signing his Attestation Paper as a Private (877747) with the 185th Infantry Battalion "Cape Breton Highlanders", on March 27th, in Sydney, Nova Scotia, at the age of 30, naming his father as his next-of-kin, stating that he had no previous military service, that he was not married and that his trade was that of Lather. The Battalion was raised in Cape Breton under the authority of G.O. 69, July 15, 1915 and had its mobilization headquarters at Broughton, Cape Breton. The Battalion sailed on October 12, 1916 from Halifax, Nova Scotia aboard the S.S. Olympic, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel F.P. Day, arriving in Liverpool, England on the 18th. After seven months training in England, he was transferred to the 25th Infantry Battalion "Victoria Rifles" on May 25, 1917, arriving in the French theatre on the 27th and joining his new unit on June 16th. Clark was declared "sick" at a Field Ambulance on April 28, 1918, then transferred to the Casualty Clearing Station with "venereal sores". He was admitted to No. 51 General Hospital at Etaples on May 6, 1917 and diagnosed with "V.D.S." (venereal disease, gonorrhea). After almost two weeks treatment, he was transferred to No. 6 Convalescent Depot at Etaples on the 18th, where his recovery would entail seven weeks, before being discharged on July 4th, followed by his posting to the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp on July 14th. Clark left for the 25th Infantry Battalion on August 3rd, returning to the Battalion on the 7th. That Fall of 1917, he attended No. 5 Machine Gun Company from September 13th to October 6th. Private Clark was wounded on September 24, 1918, suffering a gun shot (shrapnel) wound to his left hand. He was initially treated at 2/1st City of London Field Ambulance, then transferred to No. 1 Casualty Clearing Station the next day, followed by a transfer to No. 22 General Hospital at Camiers on the 26th. He was immediately invalided to England aboard the Hospital Ship Ville de Liege and was admitted to Barrington War Hospital at Shrewsbury on September 29th, where he was treated for eight weeks, before being transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital at Woodcote Park, Epsom on November 25th and after nine days, was discharged on December 4th. He was posted to the Nova Scotia Regimental Depot on December 10th, was re-examined at the Canadian Concentration Camp at Kinmel Park in North Wales on December 12th and assigned to the 17th Reserve Battalion on December 14th. He returned to Canada on January 5, 1919 aboard the S.S. Olympic. Upon arrival in Canada, he was taken on strength at No. 6 District Depot in Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 10th, then posted to the Casualty Company on the 17th. Private Fred T. Clark was discharged on February 8, 1919 at No. 6 District Depot in Halifax, where it was noted in his final medical examination that he had a wound scar on his left hip and a scar on his left hand, the latter from the shrapnel wounding on September 24, 1918. For his First World War service, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. After the war, he applied for a War Service Gratuity but at the time of his application, he hadn't been awarded a War Service Badge.