WICKS, Clarence Percival Frederick
| Service Number: | SX15822 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 30 December 1941, Wayville, SA |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Mechanical Equipment Company/ies |
| Born: | Yahl, SA, 10 November 1919 |
| Home Town: | Mount Gambier, Mount Gambier, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Cheesemaker |
| Died: | Natural Causes, Mount Gambier, SA, 24 January 2008, aged 88 years |
| Cemetery: |
Carinya Gardens Cemetery, Mount Gambier, South Australia Plot: Waterfall Area 3, G14 |
| Memorials: | Yahl Memorial Hall Honour Board |
World War 2 Service
| 30 Dec 1941: | Involvement Sapper, SX15822 | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Dec 1941: | Enlisted Wayville, SA | |
| 30 Dec 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, SX15822, Mechanical Equipment Company/ies | |
| 3 Jul 1942: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Fitter Armament, 2nd/5th Field Company (Squadron) RAE, Joined the 5th field squadron | |
| 9 Jul 1942: | Promoted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Fitter Armament, 2nd/5th Field Company (Squadron) RAE, Promoted to Fitter Group 2 | |
| 28 Jun 1944: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Fitter Armament, Mechanical Equipment Company/ies, Transferred to 5 Australia Mechanic Equipment Company | |
| 13 Dec 1944: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, SX15822, Mechanical Equipment Company/ies | |
| 13 Dec 1944: | Discharged |
Help us honour Clarence Percival Frederick Wicks's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Open Access College
On the 10th of November 1919, Clarence Percival Frederick Wicks was born to his mother, Mary Florence Wicks, who was 37, and father, Arthur Joseph Wicks, who was 40, in Yahl, South Australia. He was the youngest of four children and had two older sisters, Florence and Vera, and one older brother, Bertram. His family were Methodists and Clarence worked as a Cheesemaker prior to the war. He was married to Vera Joyce Saunders on the 9th of December 1939 in Mount Gambier, South Australia.
On the 30th of December 1941, when he was 22, Clarence enlisted at Wayville, South Australia. On the 1st of January 1942, he was taken on strength before going on leave without pay for 20 days on the 2nd. On the 4th April 1942, he was qualified as a Fitter and was marched out to the 5th Field Squadron 3rd June 1942 and was taken on strength. He moved to Victoria and then marched out to QLD May 1943.
On the 28th of June, he was transferred to the 5th Australian Mechanic Equipment Company and was taken on strength, where he continued to do engineering work. Finally, on the 23rd of November 1944, he was discharged and made his way back to South Australia, where he was officially discharged at Wayville from the Australian Military 13th December 1944.
After the war, Clarence went back to Mount Gambier to live with his wife and continued his job in the dairy industry. There is no record that Clarence and Vera had any children. On the 23rd of November 1998, Clarence wrote to the Historical Research Section claiming he travelled between the mainland and Bribie Island in 1943 and was applying for a Gold Card. Though the Department of Veteran’s Affairs could not find any evidence in the records that he had been there. On the 10th of December 1998, Clarence wrote a follow-up letter to the Soldier Career Management Agency saying that a Gold Card was no longer required. On the 24th of January 2008, Clarence passed away at the age of 88 in Mount Gambier, South Australia. He was buried in the Carinya Gardens Cemetery. His wife, Vera, passed away ten years later, on the 9th of March, 2018, at 97 years old. She was buried next to him at the Carinya Gardens Cemetery.
Click images to start slideshow.