ADDIS, Clement Riggs
| Service Number: | 4711 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 February 1915, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia, 11 March 1895 |
| Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Ascot Vale State School and Wesley College, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Hit by bomb from plane, Picardie, France, 21 August 1916, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Becourt Military Cemetery Plot I, Row O; Grave 21 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Brighton Grammar School Girrawheen Chapel World War 1 Memorial Window, Brighton North Road Presbyterian Church HB, Gawler Council Gawler Men Who Answered the Call WW1 Roll of Honor, Gawler War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Feb 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Driver, 4711, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Persia embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 10 Aug 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Driver, 4711, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , RMS Persia, Melbourne | |
| 21 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Driver, 4711, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4711 awm_unit: 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Driver awm_died_date: 1916-08-21 |
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Son of James Clement RIGGS and Elizabeth nee RIGGS
"Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Addis, of Brighton, Victoria, have received information through the Military officials that their son Clement, was killed in Action in France on August 21st. The deceased was born in Melbourne and was in his 22nd year. He received his education through the Public School and Wesley College, Melbourne. Possessed of a naturally bright and genial disposition and being keen and enthusiastic in all sport and work that he undertook, and above all, of goodly character, won for him many friends in Gawler and district. Upon leaving College, he made up his mind to be a man of the land, and to gain practical experience, resided at "Bentley" with his uncle, Mr. A. H. Riggs, for three years.
As a Melbourne District Cadet he held top place as rifleman, and also at a later stage, proved his ability in this direction on the Gawler Rifle Ranges. He was also an enthusiastic member of the local Mounted Section of the Citizens' Forces for three years, and a prominent and successful competitor in military sports meetings held at Gawler and Adelaide. In a message on the eve of his departure he said —
"I felt as though it was my duty to go to the war. I have been a would-be-soldier ever since I was eleven years old and now the time and the chance has come for me to be a real soldier,"
and so, in accordance with this spirit, he responded at once to the first bugle call "To Arms," but was prevailed upon to wait a while. After the completion of five months training at Adelaide and Melbourne he embarked as a member of the reinforcements for the 7th Battery, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade of the 1st Australian Division. On the 12th August, 1915, he left the Outer Harbor on the R.M.S. Persia (afterwards torpedoed in the Mediterranean) and had a safe journey to Egypt. Owing to the non-advance of the Allies on Gallipoli, the Field Artillery was detained in Egypt and at various times his Brigade was stationed at Cairo, Helliopolis, Alexandria, and the Suez Canal. In March, 1916, he embarked at Alexandria for France, and after a few week's encampment at a French seaport, on the English Channel, he moved into the firing line on the Western Front, where he had been engaged on active service until August 31, when and where his fine spirit of patriotism and love of country was crowned with the Supreme Sacrifice." - from the Gawler Bunyip 22 Sep 1916 (nla.gov.au)
Clement Riggs Addis died aged 21
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