Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of William John Clunies-Ross and Hannah Elizabeth nee Tilley.

Henry was born at Bathurst in 1891, being the second son of the late Mr. W.J. Clunies Ross, lecturer in chemistry and metallurgy at the Sydney Technical College.  He was a nephew of Major Martin Donohoe, the well-known war correspondent, and a grand nephew of the late Mr. Clunies Ross, owner of the Cocos Island.  He was a member of the reporting staff of the Sydney Morning Herald.

Enlisting in the ranks in 1914 he went to Egypt with the 19th Battalion, and, after serveral months' service there received his commission.  He was invalided home in October, 1915 with enteritis.  On his recovery in Australia he was promoted to the rank of Captain and placed in command of the 1st Cyclists Company in which, in May 1916, he went to France.  There he was engaged at Messines Ridge and elsewhere.  In 1917 he was transferred from the A.I.F. to the King's African Rifles. He contracted malaria in German East Africa after serving there for several months.  For a time he was in hospital at Nairobi, and then was removed to the Queen Alexandra Hosptial in London, whre he died on September 27, 1918.

The following Biography is published by the Midhurst Society (www.midhurstsociety.org.uk)

Henry Egerton Clunies-Ross, known as Gert to his family, was born in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia on 5th September 1891. He was the second eldest of four boys; Allan his elder brother,  Robert and Ian. He was awarded an arts degree from the University of Sydney and was employed as a journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald.
Before the Great War, Gert was an enthusiastic part-time soldier, but in 1915 he enlisted and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 5th May. His brothers Allan and Robert joined up as well.  Gert sailed with 19th Battalion, Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force (AIF), on 25th June 1915 on-board HMAT Ceramic bound for Egypt as part of preparations for the Gallipoli campaign. However,  he returned to Australia from Egypt after contracting enteritis in October 1915. Once recovered, he helped organise the first Cycle Corps to leave Australia. The primary roles of the cyclists were to  conduct reconnaissance and communications (message taking). They were armed as infantry and could provide mobile firepower if required. He was promoted to Lieutenant in October 1915 and  Captain in April 1916. On 18th April 1916 he re-embarked as Officer Commanding 3rd Division Cyclist Company, ANZAC Cyclist Battalion on board HMAT A64 Demosthenes to return to France. When  they arrived in England, his unit was disbanded, and he was made a machine gun instructor. He was deployed to France and served with 39th Battalion, AIF from 10th June 1917 during the Battle of  Messines Ridge and subsequent engagements till August 1917. He transferred to the 2nd Battalion, Kings African Rifles (KAR) on 24 September 1917, and left for Nairobi. His family believe Gert transferred to the KAR to pursue a career as a professional soldier and he must have calculated this would be easier in the British colonial forces. At the time of his transfer, the KAR were expanding  rapidly to face the German threat in East Africa. Gert joined his new battalion as the strategic drive was to pursue German forces who had withdrawn into Portuguese East Africa to re-group. During  these pursuit operations, Gert caught malaria.
He was hospitalised in Lindi but was then evacuated to England in June 1918 and died of malaria and pneumonic influenza in Queen Alexandra’s Military Hospital, London on 27th September 1918.  Captain Clunies-Ross was awarded the Victory Medal, British War Medal and 1915 Star. Sadly, his brother Rob was killed a week later on 3 October 1918 in France, and is buried in Bellicourt British Cemetery. His brother Allan survived the war although injured by gas. 

The family believe Gert Clunies-Ross is buried in St Mary’s Churchyard as he was engaged to be married to the daughter of the parish priest. Gert’s mother travelled to England in 1919 to meet up with  his eldest brother Allan, now commissioned and married, and to join him on his troopship home to Australia. While in Britain, the family confirm she visited Gert’s grave in Easebourne. His  grave is  registered with the CWGC as a private memorial.