BAIRD, Clifford William
| Service Number: | 5955 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 January 1915, Oaklands, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 4th Light Horse Brigade Train |
| Born: | Quorn, SA, 23 August 1895 |
| Home Town: | Prospect (SA), Prospect, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Nailsworth Public School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Mail Driver |
| Died: | Felixstow, SA, 8 July 1970, aged 74 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Dudley Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Officers of S.A. Post, Telegraph and Telephone Department Great War Roll of Honor, Nailsworth Primary School Great War Roll of Honour, Prospect Roll of Honour A-G WWI Board |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Jan 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5955, 4th Light Horse Regiment, Oaklands, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 26 May 1915: | Involvement Driver, 5955, 4th Light Horse Brigade Train, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 26 May 1915: | Embarked Driver, 5955, 4th Light Horse Brigade Train, HMAT Afric, Adelaide |
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Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Son of Joseph BAIRD and Annie Elizabeth nee JOYCE
Biography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Clifford William Baird was born in Quorn, August 23rd, 1895. He later moved to Adelaide and lived at Prospect with his mother and father, Joseph Baird, and Annie Joyce. He was employed as a mail driver upon enlistment. Baird was described standing at 5,3ft tall with grey eyes and light hair. His Attestation papers stated that he was a natural born British subject and Methodist was his religious denomination.
With no prior service, Baird enlisted in the 4th Light Horse Regiment on the 6th of January 1915. Baird embarked on the HMAT Afric A19 on 25th of April 1915. In September 1915 Baird was deployed at Anzac Cove. Baird was admitted to a hospital nearly a month later, suffering from dysentery (a type of gastroenteritis) which prolonged his stay for 3 days. Once cleared, on the 24th October Baird rejoined his regiment at Gallipoli.
Baird, on the “SS Inkosi”, embarked on the 10th January from what is known today as Anzac Cove to Alexandria in Egypt for further training. Later that month he was then shipped to France and disembarked at Marseilles to join the fighting on the Western front.
8th April 1917 Baird was hospitalised with an injury to his groin and was discharged to duty 17th April 1917. He took leave to the UK in May and returned to hospital due to the same groin injury in June. For the next few months he as treated at various hospitals and rest camps in France and returned to his unit 9th September 1917. He was diagnosed with tenanus in December 1917 and must have been rather ill because he did not return to duty until May 1918. By July he was ill again with a fever and treated at a Casualty Clearing Station for a few days before returning to his unit/. He took 2 weeks leave in August 1918 in the UK and was appointed Lance Corporal 24th October 1918. He marched out to be returned to Australia in January and was repatriated back to Australia on the ship Kashmir arriving in April 1919.
Baird’s brother, Alfred John Baird died of wounds on the 7th of October 1917. The brave soldier, Under the 43rd infantry battalion, unit number 2778, was listed as a private. Mr and Mrs Baird were notified of their youngest son’s death shortly after. Although both deployed on the western front, the brothers were never in direct contact (relation with regiments – awm.gov).
Baird was discharged in the June of 1919.
Clifford William Baird Died on the 8th of July 1917 in Felixstow, SA at the age of 75. He is buried at Dudley Park Cemetery, SA.
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