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Clement James "Clem" French

18 April 1903 – 13 May 1984

Clement James French, known throughout his life as "Clem", was born on 18 April 1903 at Midland Junction, Western Australia. He was born during a period of rapid industrial and railway expansion in the region, which shaped the early development of many working families in Western Australia.

By adulthood, Clem relocated to South Australia, where he established his life and family, primarily in the Murray Bridge district.

Military Service – Australian Militia

Clem served in Australia's pre-war home defence forces as a member of the Australian Militia.

Service Number: S16915
Army Number: 308964
Rank: Private
Unit: 10th Battalion (Militia)
Date of Enlistment: 14 April 1939, Murray Bridge, South Australia
Age at Enlistment: 35
Marital Status at Enlistment: Single
Occupation: Farmer
His service consisted of home-defence training duties within Australia during the period leading up to the Second World War.

Clem was:

Transferred to Class A Reserve: 11 September 1940
Discharged: 28 September 1940

There is no evidence of overseas service, combat deployment, or later re-enlistment. His military record reflects the contribution of many Australian men who undertook essential local defence preparedness during the uncertain pre-war years.

Marriage and Family

First Marriage – Kuchel

On 20 December 1941, Clem married Vera Regina Linda Kuchel at Christ Church Evangelical Lutheran Church, Murray Bridge.

Vera was born in 1906 at Hahndorf, South Australia, and was the daughter of Ferdinand Richard Alfred Kuchel and Rosalia Regina Ida Kuchel (née Wirth).

Together, Clem and Vera had one daughter:

Eileen French

Tragically, Vera died on 15 January 1954, aged 47 years, at the S.M. Hospital, Murray Bridge. She was buried at Murray Bridge Cemetery, Tenth Drive, Plot 215.

Second Marriage – Rawlins / Cooper

Following Vera's death, Clem later married Ethel Elizabeth Annie Rawlins, widow of Oliver Roy Cooper.

Ethel brought two daughters from her first marriage:

Valda Cooper
Ronda Cooper
Clem became stepfather to Valda and Ronda, while Ethel became stepmother to Clem's daughter Eileen. This blended family structure is explicitly confirmed on multiple headstone inscriptions at Murray Bridge Cemetery.

Later Life and Death

In his later years, Clem resided in Glen Osmond, South Australia. His last residence was recorded as Christian Rest Home, Glen Osmond.

Clement James French died on 13 May 1984, aged 81 years, at Abergeldie Private Hospital, Portrush Road, Glen Osmond. His death was announced in The Advertiser, with notices published on 15 May 1984.

Burial

Clem was buried on 15 May 1984 at Murray Bridge Cemetery, where he rests with his first wife, Vera.

Cemetery: Murray Bridge Cemetery
Section: Tenth Drive
Plot: 215

His headstone records him as:

Husband of Vera and Ethel; father of Eileen; stepfather of Valda and Ronda.

Summary

Clement James "Clem" French lived a life shaped by migration, family responsibility, and service to community. From his birth in Western Australia to his settled years in South Australia, he experienced the upheavals of the Depression and the approach of global war. His Australian Militia service reflects the quiet contribution of men who trained and stood ready for home defence, while his family life linked the French, Kuchel, Rawlins, Cooper, and Wirth families across generations.

His life is now fully and securely documented through civil registrations, cemetery records, newspaper notices, headstone inscriptions, and original military files.

Sources

National Archives of Australia: Militia Service File B884, S16915
South Australian Marriage Registration: French–Kuchel, Book/Page 434/6502
South Australian Death Registration: French, Clement James, Book/Page 639A/3448
Murray Bridge Cemetery Burial Registers (Tenth Drive, Plot 215)
Headstone inscriptions, Murray Bridge Cemetery
The Advertiser (Adelaide), Death and Funeral Notices, May 1984

Biography by Trevor Pyatt 18/12/2025