Lieutenant Clarence Donovan Kirkbride

 

 

 

Clarence Kirkbride was born on 2 November 1892 in Penrith, Cumberland, the sixth of eight children of tailor and draper William Ernest Kirkbride and his wife Laura Jane (née Kirkbride). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 62 Arthur Street, Penrith, with his father, his four surviving siblings, and a cousin.

In 1913 Kirkbride enlisted in the West Kent Yeomanry (No.786). There is a newspaper reference to him as an uncertified assistant in Bickley and Widmore Church of England School seeking leave to attend the regiment's annual training from 25 May to 8 June that year. The Mid-Cumberland and North Westmoreland Herald of 21 November 1914 lists him as one of the Penrith Grammar School 'Old Boys' on military service – in his case, with the North [sic] Kent Yeomanry.

On 5 April 1915 Kirkbride was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and posted to the 4th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry at Tidworth. On 23 March 1916 he was transferred to the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, moving to the 10th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry at The Curragh in Ireland. In mid-1916 he embarked for France, where he had been posted to the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron, joining it in the field at Flesselles on 13 August. At the time the squadron was part of the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to X Corps.

In October 1916 the regiment moved north to the Ypres front, based at Boeschepe. Kirkbride was mentioned twice in the regimental diary later that year:

7 December 1916: "2 Lieut Kirkbride was in Command of Digging party."
16 December 1916: "Usual working party under Lieut Kirkbride."

In June 1917 he returned to England, having transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. After a period of training he was appointed flying officer (2nd lieutenant) on 30 November 1917, and the following February was promoted to lieutenant (with seniority from 1 July 1917). It appears that he spent the remainder of the war in the UK. The planes he flew included the DH6, Curtiss, BE2e and RE8. His aerial gunnery was described as 'fair'. on 11 June 1919 he was transferred to the RAF's Unemployed List.

On 9 April 1918 Kirkbride married Jessie Bowes, daughter of Major John Bowes of the Royal Army Medical Corps, in the Holy Trinity Church, Failsworth, Lancaster. At the time of the 1939 Register they were living at 1 Oakfields, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, Clarence working as a soap manufacturer's department manager and doing ARP duties at the firm's factory.

During World War 2 he served in the RAF's Volunteer Reserve, relinquishing his commission on 10 February 1954 with the rank of squadron leader.

Kirkbride died on 3 July 1960 at his home, Pine Tops, Buccleuch Road, Branksome Park, Poole, Dorset.

 

Kirkbride (centre) with fellow RAF officers.

 

Images above kindly provided by Lenita and sourced from Ancestry.com Public Member Trees – contributor 'lennie77'. Thanks also to Ian Bowes.

 

This page last updated 19 October 2023.