Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Excerpt from Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1. Courtesy of the Authors

Arthur Ross Clayton was born on 14th May 1876 at Yankalilla, South Australia, son of John Woods Clayton and Elizabeth, nee Cornish.  He was educated at St Peter’s College and studied medicine at the University of Adelaide graduating in 1902. He became a resident surgeon at the Adelaide Hospital in 1903 and then undertook postgraduate study in England (MRCS England; LRCP London; 1905).  After returning to South Australia In 1907, he went into general practice at Moonta.  He subsequently was appointed surgeon to the Wallaroo and Moonta Mining and Smelting Company in 1908 and medical officer of health for Moonta in 1909. He joined the AAMC Reserve in 1912 and was the regimental medical officer to the 24th Light Horse.

Clayton enlisted the AIF on 10th September 1915 as a Captain at the age of 39 years. He was described as single, 5ft 8ins tall and weighed 164lbs.  His mother Mrs Elizabeth Clayton of Medindie was named as his next of kin.  He was posted to the 1 AGH in Egypt and then the 3 AGH at Heliopolis.  He was promoted to major on 11th October 1915. He served in the 7th and 6th FdAmb from March 1916 and then posted to 12 FdAmb on 10th November 1916 and placed in charge of the 5th Divisional Rest Station at Vignacourt. He went to the 1st Anzac Corps Rest Station at Bellevue Farm during operations at Bapaume in early 1917.  During the battles of Bullecourt he served at the 5 Division’s main dressing stations and from October to December was acting commander of his unit. Clayton assumed temporary command of the 8FdAmb on 22nd January 1918 and remained with the 5th Division on the Somme.  He was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel in May 1918 and remained in command of the 8th FdAmb until the end of WW1.  He was wounded in action in April 1918 but only suffered minor wounds.  He was especially mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatches on 7th April 1918 and on 4th June 1918 he was awarded the DSO. His promotion to lieutenant colonel was substantiated in November 1918.  He became the Commanding Officer of the AIF’s remaining divisional field ambulances in Belgium in April 1919. He was issued with the1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal with Oak Leaves.

Clayton returned to Australia in August 1919 and was discharged in December 1919.  After demobilisation he resumed his medical practice at Moonta and continued to serve in the Australian Military Forces Reserve as area medical officer at Moonta and Kadina before being placed on the unattached list in 1922.  He married Nellie Mabel Mary Harbison on 12 September 1922 at St Mary’s Anglican Church, Wallaroo  He was among the community’s most prominent citizens and was mayor of the Moonta Corporation in 1923-1926 and again in 1939 – 1940.  He was a warden of the local Anglican Church and a Freemason.  He and his wife had no children and Arthur Clayton remained at Moonta until his death on 2nd September 1963; his wife had predeceased him.