217760 Pte. Hubert A. Clarke British West Indies Regiment 2nd Btn. (d.11th Aug 1917) Hubert Clarke, a West Indian Negro, served with the British West Indies Regiment 2nd Battalion. He was executed for striking a senior officer on 11th August 1917 and is buried in the Kantara War Memorial Cemetery in Egypt.
A witness gave an account of the execution which took place near the Suez canal. ‘It was just before dawn, the prisoner was standing close to the wall, a magnificent bronze Hercules, clad in a pair of khaki shorts only, his hands fastened behind his back. The firing party stood huddled nearby, their faces looked white and drawn in the gathering light. We were all in a state of extreme tension, then I looked at the prisoner, the light was coming up from the East. It glistened on his bronze skin and the white of his eyes. I was startled to see there was a smile of beatitude on his face, his white teeth sparkled, he was completely at ease. The Baptist chaplain was with him, the man’s eyes seemed to glow with an inner joy. A few seconds later the command was given; then came the volley; and then the great, beautiful body crumpled and suddenly fell. Later I spoke to the Padre and commented on the courage of the man. The Padre said that he had been with the man almost hourly during the week; he had repented for his sins, and believed that he was forgiven; he was ready therefore to face his God.
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