Sydney James CLARKE

CLARKE, Sydney James

Service Number: 3762
Enlisted: 11 April 1917, Toowoomba, Qld.
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 52nd Infantry Battalion
Born: St George, Queensland, Australia , 1890
Home Town: Not yet discovered
Schooling: Public Schooling
Occupation: Stockman
Died: Illness, United Kingdom, 21 June 1918
Cemetery: Codford St. Mary (St. Mary) New Churchyard, Wiltshire, England
Plot 93
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Goondiwindi War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

11 Apr 1917: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3762, 52nd Infantry Battalion, Toowoomba, Qld.
31 Oct 1917: Involvement Private, 3762, 52nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: ''
31 Oct 1917: Embarked Private, 3762, 52nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney

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Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

Died on this date – 21st June…… Sydney James Clarke was born at St. George, Queensland in 1890.

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 11th April, 1917 as a 27year old, single , stockman from Warwick, Queensland. His next of kin was listed as his friend, Mrs Ellen Noud, Goondiwindi, Queensland. (From the information supplied for the Roll of Honour, completed by Mrs Ellen Noud, she was Sydney’s foster mother.)

Private Sydney Clarke, Service number 3762, embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on HMAT Euripides (A14) on 31st October, 1917 with the 52nd Infantry Battalion, 10th Reinforcements & disembarked at Devonport, England on 26th December, 1917. While in Port of Spain on 11th December, 1917, Private Clarke was disciplined for neglecting to obey an order given by his superior officer. He was awarded 7 days C.B. (Confined to Barracks) and a forfeiture of 2 days pay.

Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. These were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.

On 26th December, 1917 Private Clarke was marched in to 13th Training Battalion at Codford, Wiltshire.

He was admitted to Group Hospital with bronchitis on 9th January, 1918 & discharged on 21st January, 1918. He was re-admitted on 24th January, 1918 with pneumonia & on 5th February, 1918 was admitted to the New Zealand Hospital with Bronchial Pneumonia - seriously ill. Private Clarke was discharged on 17th May, 1918 after 101 days.

Private  Clarke was then transferred to 49th Battalion at Codford, Wiltshire on 26th May, 1918.

On 14th June, 1918 Private Clarke was re-admitted to the New Zealand Hospital with Pneumonia (seriously ill).

Private Sydney Clarke died at 11.45 a.m. on 21st June, 1918 at 3rd New Zealand General Hospital at Codford, Wiltshire, England. A Post Mortem was completed on 22nd June, 1918 & the cause of death was pneumonia.

He was buried in St Mary’s New Churchyard, Codford, Wiltshire, England where 30 other WW1 Australian War Graves & 66 WW1 New Zealand War Graves are located.

Private Sydney James Clarke is listed on the Australian War Memorial website under Indigenous Service.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/codford---st-marys.html

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Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

Foster son of Mrs E. Noud, Goondiwindi, Queensland. Born at St. George, Queensland