Canadian Flag Red Ensign (1922) Union Jack Ontario Flag United Nations Flag NATO Flag

Cenotaph Stories

Weeks, Clarence Gladstone MC.

Rank
Lieutenant
Service No.
724021
Unit
109th Batt D Coy, 124th Batt, 75th Batt
Awards
Military Cross
Died
Died of wounds - Shell wounds left and right side
22 August, 1918
Age 25
Buried
Crouy British Cemetery, Crouy-sur-Somme, France - VI D 5
Remembrance:
First World War Book of Remembrance - Page 520
Additional Info

Clarence Gladstone Weeks was born 9 April 1893 in Woodville ON. He was the oldest child of 3 children born to Charles Edgar and Clara (Edwards) Weeks of Lindsay ON. The family was well known in Lindsay, with Charles as the manager of the Victoria Savings and Loan branch. Clarence was in his last year of pharmacy college when he enlisted and worked for his uncle Rupert at 374 Dundas Street East in Toronto.

On 24 February 1916, Clarence enlisted with the 109th, and was transferred to the 75th Battalion where he served with distinction. His younger brother George also enlisted in 1916 and served as a Lieutenant with the 124th Battalion before being invalided home in 1917 with trench fever.

Clarence served as a Lieutenant with the 75th Battalion and judging by the entries in the war diary and other communications was very well liked and respected. He was awarded the Military Cross for bravery shown in a major raid in Passchendaele on 8/9 June 1916, and then promoted first to Sergeant and then Lieutenant. Unfortunately, the details of this raid are not discussed in detail in the war diary.

In early August 1918, the 75th Battalion was at Le Quesnel, passing through the village of Beaucourt several kms outside of Amiens in France. On 8 Aug 1918, the notes made in the 75th Battalion war diary show just how well known and greatly admired by his fellow soldiers: “At this support the three tanks passed on our left on their way forward, carrying our 75th quota of machine gunners and scouts under the command of Lieuts D. U. Wright, H. K. Staples and C. G. Weeks. They all waived very cheerfully, and the Battalion greeted them with a cheer as they moved forward. Little did anyone in the unit realize that a short time afterwards these three of our finest officers would be put out of action, that Lieuts Wright and Staples would be killed in the next hour and Lieut Weeks badly wounded.” Clarence was seriously wounded by shrapnel to his side and leg on this day, and died of those wounds on 22 August 1918 at

Clarence Weeks is buried in Crouy British Cemetery, Crouy-sur-Somme, France. He was 25 years old.

Attestation and other Documents (pdf, 58 pages - 28.7MB)

Toronto Star, August 22nd, 1918

Lieut. Clarence G. Weeks, M.C., of the 75th Battalion, is reported seriously ill at No. 5 Casualty Clearing Station, suffering from gunshot wounds received in action on August 15th. Lieut. Weeks is the son of Mr. C. B. Weeks, manager of the Victoria Loan and Savings Company, Lindsay, and went overseas over two years ago with his only brother. Capt. George A. Weeks, recently invalided home from France.

He won his Military Cross in the Paschendaele fight where the Canadian forces won undying glory by their gallantry.

At the time of his enlistment he was in the drug store of his uncle, Mr. H. P. Weeks. 374 Dundas street east, and was in his last year in pharmacy.

Unknown publication

Lieut. C. G. Weeks, M.C., nephew of Mr. R. P. Weeks, 374 Dundas St. East, has been wounded by gunshot in the side and leg. He is 23 years of age. Lieut. Weeks was awarded the Military Cross for his gallantry on the battlefield at Passchendaele.