CLATWORTHY, Joseph
| Service Number: | 62782 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 July 1918 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st to 3rd (WA) and (TAS) Reinforcements |
| Born: | Esperance, Western Australia, Australia, March 1897 |
| Home Town: | Midland, Swan, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Horse-breaker |
| Died: | Influenza, Quarantine Station Woodman Point,Western Australia, Australia, Quarantine Station, Woodman Point, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, 23 December 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Perth War Cemetery and Annex, Western Australia NC1. 2., Quarantine Station, Woodman Point, Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Coogee "Boonah" Tragedy Memorial, Kings Park Western Australia State War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Jul 1918: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 62782, 1st to 3rd (WA) and (TAS) Reinforcements | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct 1918: | Involvement Private, 62782, 1st to 3rd (WA) and (TAS) Reinforcements, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Boonah embarkation_ship_number: A36 public_note: '' | |
| 29 Oct 1918: | Embarked Private, 62782, 1st to 3rd (WA) and (TAS) Reinforcements, HMAT Boonah, Fremantle | |
| 23 Dec 1918: | Involvement Private, 62782, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 62782 awm_unit: Reinforcements awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-12-23 |
The toll of Spanish Flu
Albert Henry Sayers and Joseph Clatworthy
By Gail Dodd for Friends of Woodman Point Recreation Camp Inc
On this last day of NAIDOC week 2024, I was delighted to discover that two men honoured at the former quarantine station at Woodman Point were Aboriginal: Albert Henry Sayers and Joseph Clatworthy. They are briefly mentioned in the Department of Local Government, Sport and Industries’ online publication, ‘They Served With Honour’ and their first world war service records are online at the National Archives.
AIF 62782, Private Joseph Clatworthy from Esperance was just 21 years old when he succumbed to Spanish Flu on 23 December 1918. He was buried in the military cemetery at the quarantine station, but on 27 June 1958 Joseph, and other service personnel buried there were reinterred at the Perth War Cemetery.
AIF 3215, Private Albert Henry Sayers from Busselton was 27 years old when he died at Woodman Point on 15 December 1918, also from the Spanish flu. His body is interred in the East Rockingham Cemetery.
Joseph and Albert were two of 26 servicemen who died at Woodman Point as a result of infection aboard the troopship Boonah which docked in South Africa where the Spanish Flu was rampant. Three Australian Army nurses and one civilian nurse attending them also died. 'The Boonah Tragedy' by Ian Darroch (2004) provides an excellent historic account of this heartbreaking period.
The Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour commemorates the lost service personnel (Panel 185 for Joseph and Panel 26 for Henry).
Lest we forget.
Submitted 19 April 2025 by gail dodd
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
The second child to Robert Clatworthy (Snr.), a shepherd, and Margaret (also known as Maggie), who was of Aboriginal decent. Joseph was the younger brother of Robert (Jnr.), who also served.
Click images to start slideshow.