Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Clifton Challis Rickard (Clif)
Stephen and Elizabeth Rickard were the parents of a daughter, May and three sons, Clifton, Gilbert, and Alfred. They were very community minded people; Stephen being a highly respected accountant for Balnaves Limited in Penola, earning himself a silver tea and coffee service on a polished oak tray, for his loyalty, continuing in their employ for 32 years. During this time both his and his employer’s sons were serving Australia in the Great War. Stephen also was an active participant in local activities, including the Triton Cricket Club as both a player and later an umpire. He was also Secretary for 22 years for the Penola Agricultural and Horticultural Society, the Oddfellow’s, President of the South Eastern Football Association and Penola Football Club. With this background it was inevitable that his sons had a highly developed civic pride.
Clifton (Clif) was born on the 11th November 1889 at Gilberton, the surviving of prematurely born twin boys. He was a 25-year-old Railway Porter when he and Gilbert both enlisted on the 17th August 1915, receiving consecutive enlistment numbers, Clif 3260 and Gilbert 3261. Like so many country-based men, Clif was proficient with a rifle and was an active member of the Lance Corporal 4th Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company, Penola Railways Rifle Club, joining the 38th Battalion as a supernumerary. Clif and Gilbert’s younger brother, Alfred had already enlisted in February of that year, just a month after his 18th birthday. All sons nominated their mother, Elizabeth as their next of kin.
By April of 1916 the brutal, incessant nature of warfare in France contributed to Clif developing what was then called ‘shell shock’ (now PTSD). However, he returned to the front but was wounded in action within three months before re-joining his battalion then again experiencing ‘shell-shock’. His family and the small country community of Penola were distressed to receive the news that both Privates Clifton and Gilbert were wounded in France in August of 1916. At that stage, both men were together in the 32nd Battalion. Little information was available to their family who vainly sought information about the pair throughout that month with written letters and telegrams. At that stage, their younger brother, Alfred was also in France, but was with a signalling company, so was unscathed. Clif then contracted both pleurisy and scabies consequently being evacuated to England. His family was quickly told of this in January 1917.
Having recovered, Clif was promoted to Lance Corporal in September 1917, two years after first enlisting but ill-health continued to plague him. He eventually returned to Australia in May of 1919 to be reunited with Ellie Hurst of ‘Thornville’, Tanunda, with the pair’s engagement being announced in August of that year and their marriage being celebrated two months later, at Ellie’s home on the 21st of October. For his war service, Clif was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory medal. The young couple lived at Edithburgh where their son, Colin Henry was born at Nurse Gulin’s on the 1st August 1920.
Post war, Clif continued his family tradition of being heavily involved in the community at Murray Bridge where he held the position of returning officer for the Labor Party Murray Electoral Committee in the 1920’s as well as being a Justice of the Peace. He also held the role of President of the Murray Bridge sub-branch of the Returned Soldiers' League despite continuing to receive on-going treatment at the Adelaide Hospital 1933.
The conflict, though had a permanent effect on Clif’s brother, Gilbert who died of war related injuries at Daw’s Road Hospital in 1927.
At the time of his father, Stephen’s death in April of 1936 after a prolonged 10 months hospitalisation in the Naracoorte Hospital, Clif worked in the Struan railway gang for two years, before being transferred to Wirrega in 1938. Again, he became heavily involved in his new community for the four and a half years he was there, including as Secretary of the Wirrega Hall Committee but also in a handyman role with hammer and nail after experiencing many numerous gales that battered the Hall. The Agricultural Bureau and local School Committee were also recipients of his generous role in school maintenance and volunteer at school picnics.
With the outbreak of WWII, Clif’s only son Colin followed in his father’s and uncles’ footsteps by enlisting in July of 1940, aged 18, when the family was based at Penola.
Clif suffered ill-health and was forced to leave his small community to live in Adelaide. He and his family were farewelled in February of 1942 at the Penola Hall which was tastefully decorated with fern and red geraniums. Over 60 residents joined in the dancing, games, recitations and competitions before presenting a monetary gift, and wishing them health and happiness in their new home. Ellie Rickard was also sincerely thanked for her unfailing energy in connection with war work, plus her willingness to play the violin for dancing and games at local functions. She was also heartily complimented on her perpetually colourful and well-kept garden, regardless of the time of year (Clifton claimed some credit as he was responsible for digging it.) Their friends all joined in publicly hoping that Colin would be welcomed back before long. After the usual high-standard supper, the audience sang "Auld Lang Syne” and then "For They are Jolly Good Fellows" concluding with three cheers, and an extra one for Colin, the absent soldier. At this time, Colin had left for the front with the A.I.F., and was serving in Tobruk.
Later that year in November Clif and Ellie received the news that Colin had sustained serious leg wounds in the Middle East and was eventually invalided home to Penola before being discharged in 1943. The family was delighted when Colin married Shirley in June of 1944 but less than a decade later, in 1953 were devastated when he was diagnosed with Hodkinson’s Disease. Clif and Ellie were shattered with Colin’s death on September 13th 1963. Clif died at Naracoorte on the 24th February, 1969 and his service is commemorated on the honor Roll at Penola with Gilbert and Alfred.
Tribute researched and written by Kaye Lee, Daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133