S59149
WILSON, Claremont Arthur
| Service Numbers: | 407, S2595 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Staff Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mile End, South Australia, AUSTRALIA, 20 March 1898 |
| Home Town: | Mile End, City of West Torrens, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Shop Assistant |
| Died: | 1 September 1985, aged 87 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Enfield Memorial Park, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Port Broughton War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 407, 43rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 407, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Sergeant, 407, 43rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 10 Oct 1919: | Honoured Military Medal |
World War 2 Service
| 29 Jul 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Staff Sergeant, S2595, Wayville, SA |
|---|
Help us honour Claremont Arthur Wilson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by tony griffin
Claremont Arthur Wilson was the son of Arthur Peter and Mary Hall (nee Miller) of Bay Street, Port Broughton.
Clem was born in Adelaide in 1898. A shop assistant, Clem was 18 years old he enlisted in Adelaide on 6 January 1916.
Clem was appointed to B Company 43 Battalion and embarked from Adelaide aboard HMAT A19 “Afric” on 9 June 1916 and disembarked in Marseilles on 20 July. From England Ralph proceeded overseas to France on 25 November. Almost a year later, at Ypres on 4 October 1917, Clem was wounded when hit in his right leg by a bullet. This was not the first time that Clem had been shot as reported in ‘The Register’, Thursday 2 January 1913.
PEA RIFLE
Port Broughton, 14 December. Two lads, Aleck and Clem Wilson, were rabbit shooting yesterday. The latter used a pea rifle. Something went wrong with the mechanism, and Clem placed the stock on the ground. He bent down to force the hammer back, when the rifle exploded, and the bullet entered his right side and passed out under the shoulder. The wound is only a flesh one, and the lad is progressing favourably.
Clem rejoined the battalion on 29 November. At Boist’ Abbe on 26 May 1918 Clem was wounded again. This time he was gassed and admitted to hospital. This gas attack by the Germans was the same one in which Clem’s fellow Port Broughton soldier, Gordon Miller, was wounded and invalided to England.
43 Battalion Diary, 26 April 1917:
“At 3a.m. gas concentration again put down and by 6a.m. 9000 shells fell on brigade sector. Heavy casualties resulted. Intermittent gas shelling continued until 11a.m. with several small area shoots during afternoon. Casualties continued to come in up to midday of 27th by which time our casualties amounted to A Coy 2 officers 66 other ranks, B Coy 1 officer 50 other ranks, C Coy 14 other ranks, D Coy 50 other ranks totalling 4 officers and 200 other ranks in all. These were very largely eye cases caused by the after effects of gas saturated in the ground and clothes.”
Clem rejoined 43 Battalion on 12 July and a month later performed a feat that earnt him a Military Medal. His Commanding Officer’s recommendation reads:
“407 Cpl (T Sgt) C. A. Wilson. He showed great judgement in leading his men with few casualties through a heavy enemy barrage during the approach march near BRAY on 22nd August 1918”
After Clem had returned to England he was granted three months leave, with pay and substance, to engage in non military employment. Clem worked as a motor mechanic with J. B. O. Tylers of Brixton.
He embarked from England on 22 August 1919 and disembarked at Outer Harbour from HT “Anchises” on 5 October. Clem was discharged on 20 November 1919.
Clem's elder brother, 8929 Pte Alexander James Hall Wilson, also served in France.