Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Lieut Clarence T Mummery MC & Bar, 8th Infantry Battalion, died 20/10/1917

Clarence Tasman 'Tas' Mummery was born in Zeehan, Tasmania, in September 1894. He was working in Wonthaggi, Victoria, as a clerk when he enlisted in the AIF on 25 August 1914, just before his twentieth birthday. He was assigned the number 59 and allocated to H Company, 8 Battalion, as a signaller. The Battalion left Melbourne for overseas service aboard the transport A24 'Benalla' on 19 October 1914. After training in Egypt, Mummery was promoted to lance corporal in March 1915. He was among the troops who landed at Anzac on 25 April 1915. He was promoted Corporal three days after the landing and to sergeant on 12 August. He suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh and a shrapnel wound to the head the same day and was evacuated to hospital in Malta, rejoining his unit in Egypt in January 1916. The following month he was commissioned Second Lieutenant. Mummery was awarded the Military Cross (MC) on 24-25 July 1916 at Pozieres in France. He was promoted to lieutenant two days later. He was awarded a bar to his Military Cross on 20 September 1917 at Polygon Wood in Belgium. He was killed instantly a month later, on 20 October 1917, while returning from a reconnaissance of the frontline near Ypres. Mummery was buried where he had fallen and a cross was erected over his grave. This was destroyed in subsequent fighting. Efforts to locate his body after the war were unsuccessful and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial. The recommendation for the award of the MC reads, 'This Officer was recommended on 3/7/16, and also 25/8/16 for M.C. his splendid work at Pozieres both times the Battn. was in action there. On the 24th/25th July his work as Battn. I.O. [intelligence officer] was splendid and I attribute to a great extent the success of our attack on the Village to this Officer's reconnaissance. He led the attacking Coys. to their Jumping off place in the village and when the attack was launched went forward with leading Coys. He pushed forward with a patrol towards Mouquet Farm, and was able to send back valuable information. He never failed to keep Btn. Hd. Qrs. apprised of the situation in the front line. During the Battn's. next visit to Pozieres on 18/8/16 Lieut. Mummery's work was again invaluable. On night of 19th Aug. he assisted Mr. Goodwin to bring in a wounded man from within 8 yards of German Trench. This Officer's work has been consistently good since the formation of the Battn. in August 1914. He has courage and initiative and his influence on other ranks at outrear (sic) times was most pronounced'. The recommendation for the award of a bar to the MC reads, 'For great gallantry and devotion to duty during the attack on POLYGON WOOD east of YPRES on September 20th. [1917]. This Officer as Battalion Adjutant did splendid work in getting the Battalion on to the tapes at the Assembly Point. Though severely wounded in the side by a Machine gun bullet early in the attack he refused to go back, and carried on with his duties. He was everywhere during the attack, assisting all, and at one period led a party against the Strong Point, successfully capturing the Garrison. He set a splendid example throughout.'

His mother/family ended up in the Moyhu, North East Victoria area.  I think I can remember there being Mummery's in this area as a young person, Evan Evans