S6182
CLARKE, William Gordon
| Service Numbers: | 524, 452 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 March 1915, Keswick South Australia Australia |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Payneham South Australia Australia, 24 March 1892 |
| Home Town: | Olary, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Station Overseer |
| Died: | Natural Causes, Broadview South Australia Australia, 19 June 1977, aged 85 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Tusmore Burnside District Roll of Honour, Unley South Park Bowling Club Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Mar 1915: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 524, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, embarkation_roll: roll_number: 15 embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: |
|
|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 524, 27th Infantry Battalion | |
| 15 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Keswick South Australia Australia | |
| 31 May 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, HMAT Geelong (A2) | |
| 12 Sep 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 524, 27th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 23 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 524, 27th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières | |
| 5 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 524, 27th Infantry Battalion, 'The Winter Offensive' - Flers/Gueudecourt winter of 1916/17 | |
| 1 Mar 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 452, 27th Infantry Battalion, German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line and Outpost Villages | |
| 6 May 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1 |
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Surname: CLARKE; Given Names: William Gordon; Date of Birth: 24 March 1892; Date of Enlistment: 10 March 1915; Trade or Calling: Station Overseer; Birth Location: Payneham SA; Address prior to enlistment: Bimbourie Station Olary SA; Photograph sent by: Mrs W Clarke Source: State Records SA
Clarke William Gordon : SERN 524 : POB Adelaide SA : POE Adelaide SA : NOK M Clarke Eliza (service Record)
William Clarke was born in Payneham, a suburb of Adelaide, on 24 March 1892.
In 1915, aged 23, when he enlisted in the AIF , he was working as a Station Overseer at Bimbourie Station, north of O'Lary in South Australia's north west, located on the main rail line to Broken Hill. His next oif kin was cited as his mother, Mrs Eliza Clarke of Tusmore Avenue Knightsbridge (Tusmore).
He was assigned to C Company of the 27th Battalion and embarked on 31 May 1915 with the rest of the Battalion on HMAT Geelong A2.
There is no specific reference to his service between Embarkation and the 10th January 1916. The only mention of his having served at Gallipoli are notes recording Embarkation and Disembarkation details from Mudros to Alexandria. The Battalion had landed on Gallipoli in September 1915 so it is presumed he served on Gallipoli for the duration of the 27th 's time there, staging though Mudros (on the island of Lemnos) in both directions.
He is recorded as having been promoted to Lance Corporal on the 18th February 1916, at Ismailia in Egypt, on return from Gallipoli.
He was progressively promoted to Corporal on 6th August 1916 (during the fighting at Pozieres) and to Sergeant on the 6th November 1916, immediately after the action at Flers.
He was wounded on the 23rd March 1917, recorded as a gun shot wound (GSW) to the neck / left shoulder. At that time the Battalion was engaged at Vracourt. As a result of his wounds, he was evacuated to the UK via Rouen. He was hospitalised at Harefield.
He was subsequently posted to the 6th Training Battalion of the Overseas Training Brigade at Fovant on the Salisbury Plain in the UK before returning to France.
He rejoined the Battalion on the 16th February 1918. He had a string of hospital admissions between March and May 1918, and was out of action sick from June 1918 to August 1918, By the time he returned to duty on the 22nd September, the war was virtually over.
He was reduced in rank in November after an incident where he was charged for 'drunkenness'. This would have been a testing time for the AIF as units and men awaited repatriation to Australia and it is undoubtedly the case that the maintenance of discipline may have been something of a challenge in the face of boredom and frustration.
He departed France for England; as a '1915 man' he was high on the list for early repatriation. AFtera brief period assigned to the Overseas Training Brigade at Heytesbury, he embarked on the HMAT Ceramic on the 25th January 1919 bound for South Australia.
He was discharged at HQ 4th Military District Keswick Barracks on 6th May 1919.
He returned to the Olary area to resume work on a sheep station.
He joined the RSL shortly after discharge and later had relocated to Adelaide - 12 Ian Street Broadview. In later years he was a member of the Salisbury Sub Branch. He was a member of the RSL from 1919 to 1975. (RSL Membership records)
He died on the 19th June 1975.
1914/15 Star 7806
British War Medal 3426
Victory Medal 3385
Steve Larkins April 2014
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