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Clem was the eldest son, born on the 19th January 1918 in Narracourte to Robert John Flemming and Annie Sophia Billing. He was the second of five children, Aileen, Angus, Chrissy and Graham. Clem proved to be quite creative as a twelve-year-old, submitting an entry into the Pinnaroo Show which won first prize in a section categorised as ‘something useful made from something useless’. The following year as a student at Parilla Well School, he won a Pinnaroo Institute Scholarship for gaining the highest aggregate marks in the Qualifying Certificate examinations. The scholarships entitle Clem to a year’s free subscription to the Juvenile Library.
Post school, Clem’s time was taken up with farming, but he also included shearing in season. However, with the outbreak of WWII, aged 22, Clem and his friend Clarrie Baldwin enlisted on the 29th June ’40 becoming SX6829 and SX7108 respectively. Clem’s 24-year-old cousin from Millicent, Peter Douglas McArthur SX8879, enlisted a fortnight later. All of these young men were allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Their first days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds before the battalion headed to Woodside in the Adelaide Hills for preliminary training. (Clem’s younger brother, Angus also enlisted the following year in July ’42 as SX23533, later serving in Japan until July ‘47.)
While on precious pre-embarkation leave Clem married Lorna Madge Illman of Glandore in a military wedding at the Black Forest Baptist Church. The ceremony had the highlight of being conducted by Captain Hurtle Roy Heard S3141 from the 2nd A.I.F. in the church in which he formerly officiated prior to being an army chaplain. Clem chose his cousin, Peter McArthur SX8879 who had also enlisted in July and was similarly in the 2/48th Battalion, as his best man.
All too soon, Clem and his fellow members of the 2/48th Battalion then embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 19th December 1940 where the Battalion completed a few months training in Cyrenaica. During those early days in the Middle East, the battalion settled into camps, but besides regular army duties was the need to quickly adapt to the locals. The new soldiers were soon involved in intense conflicts where the reputation of the 2/48th Battalion for being the most highly decorated but decimated battalion was earned.
Back home, the local Pinnaroo and Border Times encouraged letters to be published from those serving abroad. These gave a very personal picture of conditions the young country enlistees were experiencing. By July ’41 several letters had been shared. Ted Casson wrote of being in Crete and being invited to one family’s place nearly every night, despite the challenge of different languages. He explained “We were sorry when the time came for us to leave, but as it has turned out, we only left in time, as Jerry has now landed a few troops there. In my opinion he will not do any good, and it is pretty well hopeless for all the troops that land there. I met a few of the boys from Pinnaroo a fair while ago including Eric Westphalen, Norm Badman, Gordon Young, Clem Billing and the Marshall Brothers.”
An astute observation was made of Clem in Darren Paech’s book Adelaide to Alamein. In an addition to an entry by Ivor Paech in his diary of August 26th ’41. ‘Another man, Private Clem Billing, who was Corporal Derrick’s best mate, was not a fan of officers and would probably have preferred having Sergeant Ziesing remain in charge. He was a big bloke who never said much but he was an excellent soldier.’ Clem’s respect for Ziesing SX3917 was to be lifelong. He died of wounds in October ’42.
Later in September Ivor wrote about doing a reconnaissance for mines and to ascertain if the enemy was occupying two fortified positions. He wrote “I took with me Privates James, Billing and Ramsden. The enemy was alert in this area so we had to use caution, sometimes crawling many yards on hands and knees.”
Private Clem Billing also had his letter published in the Pinnaroo and Border Times, providing an insight into the resilience and creativity of the soldiers, as well as the contrast between ‘home’ and countries overseas and the simple pleasures that were so much appreciated.
"Things have been very quiet here (Middle East). It is about the quietest spot we have seen in this Vicinity. There is very little to do we have our pits finished and everything made comfortable. There was a fair bit of work in it, but we also had a long time to finish it, so l I have not been working too hard. The last week or so has been pretty hot and we have been glad of a rest in the middle of the day. There were a couple of fairly dense fogs the last morning or so. They made things quite wet and it was really a pleasure to see a bit of moisture about. The Italian ground sheet which I have for a roof seems to be better for keeping out the sun than the dampness. There was quite a drop came through onto my blankets, but the problem of drying them is not a very big one in this country, especially at this time of the year. Both the Italian and German armies have contributed towards the making of my humble little shack. I have ground sheets of both kinds and the sides are made of ammunition boxes, so you can gather it is quite a war-time structure. We are rather lucky at present, as there is plenty of firewood, and we have a brew of tea and toast for every meal; sometimes we even fry up some bully beef and a bit of fish (if we can ‘‘scrounge’’ the fish). It makes a fairly tasty meal fried together. One of the chaps even came home with a potato the other day. lt wasn’t very big but it went long way.
“I have been to the beach a couple of times lately and did a bit of washing. I had a great find as someone left a cake of sea soap on a rock, so I grabbed it up and had visions of getting my clothes a bit cleaner, but when I had almost finished my first singlet a wave washed it away and with it all my dreams of a nice, clean wash.
“There seems to be quite a bit of naval activity at the moment; we hear news from the “sigs” (signallers) as they have a wireless. The flies are terrible here today, worse than they have ever been. There are more in our dugout than in the whole of Pinnaroo. You will notice that I am writing on both sides of the paper; it is beginning to be just another one of our problems out here. I was lucky enough to get a fair supply of Italian paper, but that is running short now. If there is one thing this life is teaching us it is to economise, and we are learning in a big way.
“A while back we camped at an oasis for five days’ rest. It was a pleasure to see real trees and green grass after the stunted desert shrubs, which are few and far between! Some of the boys were even lucky enough to find a white flower for Mothers’ Day, while others had to make pale pink ones serve the purpose. If it were not for the letters and parcels we receive from home we would not have much to look forward to, as mail day means more to us than anything else in this land of dust and flies.”
In September that same year, Edwin (Jack) Slater SX19458 from the 2nd/43rd wrote a poignant letter which was received after the news of his death, killed in action on the 3rd August. He described how “Fritz has been sending us a few shells for breakfast and tea lately. By the look of the shrapnel lying around it will take some digesting. The only injuries that I have received from them so far is a bit of skin off my leg and elbow. I got that dodging them. One does not notice that though until a fair while after one stops. As soon as the shells have landed you can hear some guy telling Fritz to "send ’em over you rotten blighter.” A chap is not lonely in his dugout. There are plenty of fleas and flies to keep him company.” He added “Remember me to the Billings and all other folk at home.”
The following month in October ‘41 a further letter was published from Clem. “I had a general clean-up this morning. Shaved, bathed and washed my clothes, all in a gallon of water. I am sorry we left Derna where we were able to have two showers a day and as much water as we wanted for washing. We are camped about a mile from the beach now and the scenery is quite good. We walk along a creek bed and the cliffs tower as high as 100 feet above us in places. It is rather a relief to walk along the bed of the creek as it shuts out the real desert for a while. I am writing under a palm tree and there is a nice breeze blowing off the sea. Best of all, there is a well nearby with plenty of water in it, so have been able to enjoy a decent wash. I left about 11 a.m. and brought my dinner, biscuits and cheese and with the remains of your parcel it was quite a nice picnic lunch. The crystallized fruit was extra. I had some help, but it would have been no effort to me on my own.
“Don (a mate) is digging periwinkles off the rocks and claims they are as good as oysters. I haven’t got any notches in my rifle yet. Too many chaps get notches on their skulls trying to get them. Anyway, I have been on a Bren gun for a few months and I would not be too popular if I started carving it about. It would be just the thing for spot lighting!.... Everything has been going well lately, as we have had nearly a fortnight’s spell. At least we were spelling when we were not shifting around. All the platoon went for one day to the beach, and Beau and myself volunteered for a job and received an extra day. We had two or three swims a day and wandered down to the beach in the evenings and watched the breakers. It gave us a feeling of freedom just to be able to wander around as we pleased for a while.
“We were camping in an old Italian hospital or convalescent home, and it was quite a good place and not knocked about much! The tile floor was a bit hard to sleep on but we are used to that now. It was great to sleep with a roof over my head after six months. Ron Ide (SX8344) was there one night. Eric Westphalen (SX9359) has been in here, playing cards with Beau and myself all day. I saw some fowls yesterday. We were camped near the town and some of the boys must have kept them since the civilians left. When the rooster crowed in the morning I wondered for a while where I was, but it did not take me long to realize. Norm had a feed of figs and prickly pears today, but I wasn’t lucky enough to go with him.”
“My ink does not look too bright, so I will not be able to water it down anymore. I am sending you a ring which I cut from the windshield of a Messerschmidt shot down in this area. It is quite a good souvenir and I thought you would like it. I have been receiving several parcels lately —six in six weeks. The impossible has happened. We had about three drops of rain this morning! I had rather a late and strenuous night and did not retire until around 2 a.m. after walking about 12 miles. We were tired and hungry when we got back so Beau and myself sat down to a hot supper. It sounds 0.K., but it was really cold bully beef with too much mustard. Bully beef tastes beautiful if you are hungry enough. The food has been good lately and we get tinned fruit every third day and plenty of vegetables. We had a Comforts Fund issue last week. Included were two packets of biscuits and a bottle of lime juice cordial each. The Comforts Fund has been treating us pretty well. All the Pinnaroo lads here are extra well. I am putting on weight. I suppose shearing is in full swing now. I would like to be there bending over a wether or two: It would be quite a change. Beau spends a fair bit of his time singing but I have forgotten most of the songs I knew. Remember me to the neighbours and to all the local girls.” Ron Ide, mentioned in Clem’s letter was killed in action a year later on the 31st October ’42.
Roy Winter SX11828 had a letter published in November ’41 with news of other locals and the conditions in which they were fighting. “Shells scream overhead through the night. A damaged tank, a smashed aeroplane, a few old trucks and encircling barbed wire completes the picture, and we sit in our dugouts, sleeping, day-dreaming, reading or writing to you people at home, wishing all the while that we could be there, even if only for a day, to see the familiar scenes and faces just once more. But it is only a wish, only a pleasant day, dream. The last two days have been dusty and somehow I could not dream of Pinnaroo; it had to be Adelaide or the South East where dust is rare; I hope you feel as we do for in spite of casualties among Pinnaroo chaps, we still carry on full of faith in ourselves, and confident of the future. I am proud of my unit and proud of the AIF. The AIF stands on its own! —even Jerry admits that—and though we curse it at times, when we are alone we are proud of it and its deeds. I saw Clem Billing, Tom Trish, Norm Badman and Beau Jones about an hour ago and they are all looking well. Beau has lost some of his condition and is now in good fighting nick, and, like all of us, is feeling fit. My best wishes to everyone in Parilla Well, (By the way Clem also received a cake).”
Similarly Private ‘Beau’ Jones SX6856 wrote in February ’42, giving a glimpse of the importance to the troops to receive mail, describing how their non-combat days were spent. “Clem (Billing) is as grand as ever, and also Tom Trish I have been transferred, to headquarters and spend less time with them.' However, I go to the pictures each night with both of the boys. We held a donkey race meeting and it was quite a fair event. I also met Jack Gregor there. He is doing fine but is complaining about lack of mail like the rest of us.”
In a recently published book by Mark Johnson Derrick VC In His Own Words, while the battalion was on the way to action in the Western Desert on the 30th June ’42, part of Derrick’s diary entry commented on the quiet determination of the men, despite knowing that some of them would be killed. “I can place my greatest confidence in my section and have no doubt as to the way they will act. I do know about Clem Billing and Rob McLaren two whom I can always rely on in any difficulty, they are my only remaining originals, 3 of the others saw a little action in the Desert, the remainder have not been in.”
An incident described by Ivor Paech recounted how the battalion that scrounges the most stores from the dumps were put in charge of guarding them. “They therefore thought it wise to consume the stores in case they fell into the enemy hands.” In July ’42 he added Private Clem Billings could not believe his luck. “He was on patrol being led by Corporal Tom Derrick, when they stumbled across one of the supply dumps. It looked like a pyramid made out of cases of beer and cognac. In the absence of sentries they all helped themselves, drinking a quantity of the booze on the spot. Having grown up on the a farm with modest means before the war, it was the first time Clem had ever tried cognac, and he drank it like it was beer. The big bloke somehow made it back to his trench in one piece after the strong alcohol kicked in, but the next day he was feeling very sorry for himself. Corporal Tom Derrick covered for him and he vowed never to touch the stuff again.”
Later that month Ivor described the preparation for the 2/48th to be involved in the capture of Points 26 and 23 and the very detailed information gained by the group led by Lieutenants Tas Gill SX2895 and Lance Heffron SX11171. (Tas was killed a few days later on the 23rd and Lance on the 22nd) “Private Clem Billing was one of the soldiers on the patrol, serving as its ‘getaway man’. His job was to bring up the rear of the group and get away if the patrol was ambushed. He had a dose of dysentery at the time and recalls having to stop and “drop my strides in the course of it”, not once, but twice. Despite being very uncomfortable, the tough young soldier never complained and did his job covering the rear of the group.”
Private Tom Trish SX6894 who later rose to be Lance Sergeant, wrote an update in August ’42. “Writing from somewhere in Syria, Pte Tom Trish wishes to be remembered to all Pinnaroo friends. I am in the “pink” and have just had two days' leave at Beirut which I enjoyed. Beau (Jones) and Clem (Billing) are OK. We were disappointed we were not sent home but have got over it now. I am thinking of taking on transport driving. I had about a month’s skiing at a place about 8,000 feet above sea level. Snow blindness put me out of action for about a week, but I like the sport very much.” Clem also had been detached to the Australian Corps Ski School in February that year.
The next news received in November ’42 was less welcome as the two friends who enlisted on the same day were also wounded at a similar time. The Pinnaroo and Border Times reported that ‘Since our last issue two more Pinnaroo soldiers have been reported wounded in action in the Middle East. They are Corporal Clarrie Baldwin and Corporal Clem Billing. In both cases the cable read “wounded in action,” therefore, it can be assumed that the wounds are not serious. Cpls Baldwin and Billing were among some of the first Pinnaroo boys to sail for overseas with the AIF and have fought in several desert campaigns. Residents trust that news of their complete recovery will not be long delayed.’
His wife, Madge was also reported by the Advertiser as having received the news. ‘Mrs. L. M. Billing, of Glandore, has been advised that her husband, Cpl. C. R. Billing, has been wounded in action in Egypt. He enlisted in June, 1940, and left for overseas in November, 1940. He served in Tobruk, Palestine and Syria. Cpl. Billing is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Billing, of Pinnaroo.’ Similarly, Clem’s parents ‘Mr. and Mrs. R J. Billing, of Pinnaroo, have received word that their son. Cpl. Clem Billing, has been wounded in action.’
In reality, Clem had sustained compound fractures to both feet from multiple gunshot wounds. Inevitably he was classified as ‘temporarily unfit for service for a period greater than six months’ and was eventually evacuated back to Australia. He had been severely wounded in action on the 31st October ‘42 in the fierce fighting to take Trig 29. At the end of the night the 2/48th Battalion had just 41 men still standing. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan best summarises the soldiers’ efforts. ‘Truly it can be said of these men, “They fought themselves and their enemy to a standstill until flesh and bold could stand no more, then they went on fighting.” Also injured in the fighting by a sniper’s bullet was a good friend, Bill Ziesing SX3917. In Murray Farquhar’s Derrick VC Clem was reported saying of his chances of being promoted was “Hell, in 8 Platoon with the Ziesings, Kibbys and Derricks, I had given up hope of moving ahead.” All were heroes in Clem’s eyes. All were killed.
That year, Clem’s young sister, Chrissy left Pinnaroo in March to enter training for the WAAAF, then in December his brother, Angus was farewelled to join the AIF. Fellow soldiers who were killed in action in the fighting of October ’42 continued to be remembered. They included:
Advertiser Tuesday 26 October 1943, ZIESING. In memory of the boys who fell at El Alamein. October. 1942.—Ever remembered by Ray Dolan, Clem Billing.
Advertiser Monday 1 November 1943, IDE. Sgt. R. M.—A token of remembrance to Ron, killed in action at El Alamein, Oct. 31, 1942.—Always remembered by Madge and Clem Billing (late 2nd. A.I.F.).
By February ‘43, having returned from the Middle East with the Ninth Division, Corporal Clem Billing’s return was finally able to be celebrated. Initially Clem was unable to attend welcome home functions because of his foot injury. However, Clem and his wife Lorna attended several dances in the following months. The first was in April ’43 at the Parilla Well Hall organised by the Women’s Patriotic Circle which was raising funds for local soldiers. Another was in May organised by the Pinnaroo Girls’ Club as the guest of honour specifically to welcome Clem home. Other soldiers included his younger brother Angus, Alf Badman SX13639 from the 2/48th and Robert Burford SX22855 were also present. (The night, in retrospect was also poignant as Alf was later killed in action at Tarakan in May ’45.)
Dancing, card playing and supper followed before numerous speakers welcomed Clem, extending best wishes and tributes to this popular young man. Typically, Clem in his speech gratefully acknowledged the good wishes extended to him and praised the Pinnaroo Girls’ Club for their parcels and letters which the boys had received whilst overseas. Clem continued to support the groups, including the Parilla Well Women’s Patriotic Circle that had supported him overseas and continued to fundraise for returned servicemen.
In the ensuing months, Clem continued to require hospital treatment for the shrapnel wound sustained in his feet, eventually being admitted to Kapara Convalescent Home. He was finally discharged on the 11th November ’43. He had three years with his family before his 63-year-old father died suddenly at Pinaroo in April ’46 then his 52-year-old father-in-law in December the same year.
Lorna and Clem moved to Adelaide but continued to visit family and friends back in Pinnaroo. They had three children, Merrilyn Joy born in November ‘44, followed by Robyn and Peter.
Clem lived to be 92 and died on the 8th June 2010. Lorna had pre-deceased Clem in February ’97. They are interred together at Centennial Park Cemetery in the general section, Path 19 Site 1275.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.