Cecil Vandepeer Clarke
| Cecil Vandepeer Clarke | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 February 1897 |
| Died | 1961 (aged 63–64) |
| Occupation | Engineer, businessman, soldier |
| Military career | |
| Nickname(s) | Nobby Clarke |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Years of service | 1914–1919; 1940–1945 |
| Battles/wars | World War I, World War II |
| Churchill Great Eastern Ramp | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Churchill Great Eastern Ramp. From top left: three-quarters view, deployed in anti-tank ditch, over wall and against sea wall. Key: (A) Rear ramp, (B) Projected ramp, (C) Front sprag, (D) Distance indicator, (E) Fixed ramp.
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Cecil Vandepeer Clarke (1897–1961) was an engineer, inventor and soldier who served in both the First and Second World Wars.
In August 1928, Clarke married Dorothy Aileen. They had three children, John, David and Roger.
Clarke was born on 15 February 1897. He grew up in London and was known to his friends as Nobby, as he would be throughout his life. He attended Greenwich Hospital School (now part of the National Maritime Museum) and the Grocers' Company School (later renamed Hackney Downs School). He studied at the University of London; but he abandoned this for a two-year certificate course with the Officer Training Corps when the First World War broke out in 1914.
Clarke was gazetted as a Second Lieutenant in the Devonshire Regiment. He then transferred to the 9th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment with 23rd Division. This unit was a Pioneer Battalion, whose duties involved tunnelling, and general explosives work. Clarke became an explosives expert and he was said to have loved making loud bangs.
Clarke served with the British Expeditionary Force in France. From October 1917 he served in Italy. He was awarded the Military Cross for his part in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto in 1918.
Clarke moved to Bedford and became director of HP Webb and Co Ltd., a motor manufacturing firm. He registered patents relating to engine design. In 1924 he bought a house in Tavistock Street, Bedford, together with an adjacent commercial garage; here he started his own engineering firm. In his spare time he built his own design of car engine, but he found that it was not commercially viable because other manufacturers could make similar engines more economically.
Clarke's brother ran a large farm and Clarke realised that there was a market for trailers of various types. Clarke thought that existing two-wheeled trailers waggled about too much – particularly horse boxes. He established the Low Loading Trailer Company Ltd. (LoLode for short) in Bedford. LoLode produced a wide range of trailers based on Clarke's design for a low-slung chassis and four close-coupled wheels with a stable suspension system. LoLode became known for building caravans to customer requirements. Standard features included Clarke's anti-rolling system with shock absorbers and hydraulic brakes. On-board batteries, water tanks, petrol generators and other internal equipment attracted attention at shows. Clarke's chassis and suspension design allowed passengers travelling in the caravan (which was permitted at that time) at a speed of 40 mph (64 km/h) to pour drinks without spilling them, and some LoLode caravans even featured a gimbal-mounted chemical toilet for use while travelling.
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