William Malcolm Clark
Born in Custon South Australia, 18th October 1886, William Malcolm Clark (Bill) was the fourth of seven children of Edward and Jane Clark.
Bill attended the Kalangadoo School. from January1893 until December 1899.
Bill was a member of the ‘E’ Coy S.A.I.R (South Australian Imperial Regiment) at Penola for two years.
On the 24th August 1914 William Malcolm Clark joined the A.I.F as a private in the 10th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement.
The 1st Reinforcements embarked from Melbourne Vic aboard the H.M.A.T. Themistocles on the 7th December 1914.
The 1st Reinforcement joined the Battalion at Mena on February 8th, 1915.
March 1st 1915 the 10th Battalion along with the 9th Battalion embarked on the “Ionian”. Ionian left Alexandria with 2,000 troops on board for a destination “unknown”.
March 4th The Ionian arrived at Mudros, Lemnos Island, but the 10th Battalion remained on board the Ionian for another seven weeks.
April 24th at 11pm that night the Battalion transferred from the Ionian to the destroyers Scourge and Foxhound.
At 1am on the 25th April, the destroyers stopped on the sea between Imbros and the Peninsula, when the troops were transferred to the small rowing boats. At 4am came the first signs of dawn, and at 4.30am the rowing boats paddled the last few yards to the shore. The Battalion was about 50 yards from the beach when the Turks fired the first shot. They jumped out into the water about four feet deep and made for shore, and at once fixed bayonets and drove the Turks off the hill from which they were showering the battalion with bullets
After four days of continuous fighting the 10th were relieved during the night , being utterly exhausted and required proper food and rest.
In Private Clark own words as reported in the Adelaide Daily Herald on Monday 13th September 1915 upon his return, “the boys pushed inland for three miles and were then driven back to a position, which we held for seven weeks. We charged up the first hill on which there was a Turkish trench and near the summit the slope was so steep we had to go down on our hands and knees. What struck me most was the way our boys went at it. They had no fear.
On the 18th May, at 5pm the Turks opened from all sides with the heaviest bombardment yet experienced. It was during this skirmish that Private Clark was knocked out by a shrapnel wound to the knee.
Private Clark was one of the last to be transported by Simpson and his Donkey before Simpson’s untimely death.
Private Clark was medi vac on the 3rd June 1915 to Alexandria for a period of time, before returning to Australia on the 15th August 1915.
Private Clark was discharged on the 21st January 1916 and received the following war medals
1914 –15 Star
The British War Medal
The Victory Medal
The Gallipoli Medallion
Upon his return he spent many years in Bordertown followed by Murray Bridge where he raised his family.
This World War 1 Veteran at the age of 53 then enlisted for WW2 at Keswick on the 21st June 1940. Private Clark served in the 4th Garrison Battalion in South Australia as a transport driver. This battalion’s role was the guarding of vital Adelaide assets and taking care of general security duties at other military sites in South Australia.
Private Clark was discharged on the 23rd August 1943 and received the following war medals
War Medal
Australian Service Medal
His family remembers him as being a keen gardener and fisherman, who had a lot of patience with his young family and came across as a real gentleman and family man. He was also a long term member of the Buff Lodge and Scout Master at Murray Bridge
Bill Clark passed away in Murray Bridge at the age of 75 years and now lies at rest within the Murray Bridge Cemetery.
Submitted 3 July 2021
by Peter Savage
