Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Clifford O’Regan was born at Tumbarumba, one of 11 children born to Jeremiah and Honoria (Nora), who lived at Peter Street.  He grew up in Wagga, and was an excellent pupil, attending St. Michael’s Kindergarten then St. Joseph’s Boys School.  Clifford was also a member of the Aloysius Society.  His occupation at the time of enlistment was clerk.

Clifford participated in the Battle of Lone Pine, and on 7 August, was hospitalised with ‘shell bruises’, and transferred to St. Elmo Hospital Malta for treatment.  From hospital, he wrote to his parents.  The letter was published in the Daily Advertiser, 16 October 1915:

‘On last Friday week our brigade had to attack the Turkish trenches.  I was one of the many unlucky enough to be hit.  A high explosive shell burst in a firing trench of the 3rd Battalion, and I was wounded in the back.  The injured were put aboard a hospital ship and sent over here to Malta.  The nurses are really splendid, and they are kept so busy.  Australia is doing her share in contributing to the Red Cross funds, and if the people could only see the good their donations do they would feel gratified.’

A second letter dated August 26 reads (in part):

‘I am now OK and getting about again as good as ever.  A lot of us are sailing for England either this afternoon or tomorrow.  I suppose we will go into convalescent hospital.  We do not know where or when we will see the front again, but probably in France – where it cannot be worse than the Dardanelles.  Poor Hubert Meager was right near me in the attack when he was killed.  I saw him fall.  He knew at once that his wound would prove fatal, but he just called out to us not to bother about him but to pour a heavy fire into the Turks, who were then only a few yards away.  He was indeed a brave man, and very popular.  We got the Turks on the run at that time, and it was not until a couple of days later I was hit.’

On 9 February 1916, Clifford fell dangerously ill and reported to the No. 2 Australian Stationary Hospital at Tel-el-Kebir.  He had contracted cerebrospinal meningitis (both clinical and pathological)[1], possibly during his time in hospital.  This was a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease, so it was necessary for Clifford to undergo a period of quarantine (isolation).  He received treatment at the No. 4 Auxiliary Hospital in Abassia (Cairo). 

Due to the weakness (debility and pyrexia) that followed, Clifford was deemed to be totally incapacitated and therefore unfit for military service, and was discharged from the AIF and invalided home to Australia aboard the HT Suez on 3 March 1916.  On returning home, he was admitted to the Randwick Military Hospital for further treatment.

After the war, Clifford took a job in Papua New Guinea.  Here, he was the manager of a plantation at Port Moresby, and became interested in coffee ventures.  Sadly, he died in March 1934, aged 40.  He had not enjoyed robust health for some time prior to his death, but nevertheless, it came as a great shock to his family. 

[1] Inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord.  Meningococcal meningitis became epidemic shortly after the outbreak of World War I.  The close intimate contact under unusually crowded barrack conditions provided ideal soil and opportunity for the growth and dissemination of meningococci.