Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of William Phillip CABOT and Lelia nee WINSTANLEY

Cliff was born on 10 Oct 1897 at Sheringa to William Phillip Cabot and Lelia Cabot (nee Winstanley).  He was the 5th eldest of 10 children in the family, 8 boys and 2 girls, His father was a builder at Sheringa, prior to the family moving to Yallunda Flat in 1903 and taking up land which had previously been part of Koppio Station. They called this farm “Glenreath”. The journey from Sheringa to Yallunda Flat by horse drawn wagon took the family 10 days.  

He went to school at Yallunda Flat, as did all the children in the family, leaving to work on the family farm. On enlistment he gave his occupation as farmer, his address as Tumby Bay and his mother as Next of Kin.

After enlistment he was sent to 2nd Depot Battalion (Bn) for training on 6 Sep 1916. A month later he was allocated to 22nd Reinforcements/ 10th Bn but, on 16 Oct 1916 he was detached to Signals Training School; he completed training on 15 Feb 1917 and returned to his unit. It was only a short stay, as 5 days later he embarked aboard RMS “Morea” for Suez; however, again a change of plans and he was transhipped at Bombay (India) to HMAT “Mashroba”, finally disembarking at Suez on 4 Apr 1917.

On 12 May 1917 he marched into Moascar and was taken on strength of 1st Light Horse Training Regiment (Regt), as his posting had been changed to 3rd Light Horse Regt and his rank to trooper. After 3 weeks he was detached to the School of Instruction at Zeitoun; at the completion of the detachment he was taken on strength by his unit (3rd L-H Regt) at Marakeech on 13 Aug 1917, just in time for the Battle of Beersheba and the third Battle of Gaza in Oct and Nov 1917. He then took part in the early follow up of the retreating forces.

At the end of Nov 1917 he reported sick to 66 Casualty Clearing Station and was then evacuated to 14th Australian General Hospital at Abbassia. 2 months later he was released to Port Said Rest Camp where he remained for 3 weeks before being detached to the Signals Training Unit at Moascar. He returned to his unit (3rd L-H Regt) on 28 Feb 1918 just after the capture of Jericho, but in time to take part in the attacks on Amman (Mar 1918) and Es Salt (Apr 1918). The Regt fought its last actions at the battles of Megiddo and Nablus (19-25 Sep 1918). The Ottoman forces capitulated on 30 Oct 1918, ending the war in Middle East.

The bulk of the Regt sailed for Australia in Mar 1919. However, Cliff remained in country, embarking on 16 May 1919 at Kantara aboard SS “Orari” for return to Australia, disembarking at Adelaide on 26 Jun 1919. 

After discharge on 4 Aug 1919 he returned to the Eyre Peninsula and resumed farming on a block at Wudinna that had been allotted to him prior to his enlistment. Unfortunately, he suffered from poor health, partly due to his service, forcing him to return to the family farm at Yallunda Flat.

He married Nora Lewis, a teacher at Yallunda Flat School, on 14 Apr 1923 at Strathalbyn Church of Christ.

In 1924 the couple moved to Lock and bought a business. It was here that they commenced their family of 3 children (a boy and 2 girls) before returning to the farm at Yallunda Flat; they farmed there for 11 years, during which time another son was born.

In 1942 the couple returned to Lock and purchased yet another farm. They remained on the Lock farm for 18 years before retiring to Port Lincoln in 1962.

Cliff died at Port Lincoln on 13 Nov 1979 and is buried in the RSL Section of the Port Lincoln Cemetery. His wife, Nora, died at Cummins on 8 Nov 1994 and is buried in Happy Valley Cemetery at Port Lincoln