Clarke, Joseph George
No.3039 – Private Joseph George Clarke – 51st Battalion AIF
Joseph George Clarke was born in Moss Vale NSW on 6th July 1891 to Joseph and Alice Clarke. The family moved across to Western Australia while Joseph was still young and took up residence at 59 Cantonment Street Fremantle. (later renumbered to 37 Cantonment).
Joseph attended Fremantle Boys School and after leaving school took up work as a Hairdresser. The family then moved up to Geraldton and then out to Yalgoo. After war was declared Joe offered his services to the Light Horse. At that time it seemed that WA was only to provide a Squadron to the 7th Light Horse Regiment (though later provided a whole regiment with the 10th LH) however when Joe was tested he failed his riding qualification.
On July 16th 1915 he enlisted in the infantry, after he was passed as fit by the examining Doctor. Joe was found to be 5 feet 7 ½ inches in height; weight of 147lbs; chest measurement of 34-37 inches; dark complexion; brown eyes and black hair. His religious denomination was Roman Catholic. Initially allotted to No.17 Depot, on the 1st August 1915 Joe was assigned to the 10th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF. This group trained in WA until the 13th October 1915 when they boarded the H.M.A.T. “Themistocles” in Fremantle Harbour. After arriving in Egypt in November the men were sent to the Infantry Depot and were not sent on to Gallipoli as plans were underway to evacuate Gallipoli by the end of December 1915. Joe therefore waited in camp until the 11th Battalion returned to Egypt. On the 7th January 1916 he was taken on strength of the 11th Battalion and was posted to “D” Company. With the expansion of the AIF the original battalions were required to split in half to provide experiences men to form the new battalions. Joe was included among the men of the 11th Battalion who went on to form the 51st Battalion AIF, and was officially taken on strength of the new unit on the 1st March 1916. On the 4th March Joe went absent without Leave for three days, only returning on the 7th March. As a punishment he was given 7 days detention and had to forfeit 4 days pay.
On the 11th April 1916 Joe was appointed a Driver in the 51st Battalion’s transport section and trained with his new section until they departed Egypt. On the 5th June 1916 the 51st Battalion transport section boarded the transport ship “Ivernia” for the voyage to France. They arrived at Marseilles on the 12th June and proceeded to the north of France in the region of Fleurbaix. They only spent a short time at Fleurbaix as in mid July 1916 they were ordered south to the Somme where the 1st, 2nd & 4th Australian Divisions would take part in the advance at Pozieres.
The 51st Battalion came into the line after Pozieres had been captured by the 1st and 2nd Divisions, and the 51st Battalion as part of the 13th Brigade tried to push the line towards Mouquet Farm. During the 51st Battalion’s first time in the line in mid August they sustained heavy casualties, though Joe missed this action due to being in the transport section.
On the 26th August Joe made a request to leave the Transport section and return to his original Company. This request was granted and Joe took a part in the 51st’s next action on the 3rd September 1916 when they tried to capture Mouquet Farm. The assault was a disaster with nearly two companies being surrounded and almost wiped out. There were many killed and taken prisoner though nothing is own as to how Joe met his end. He was originally posted as missing in action but as lists of the prisoners came through his name was not among them, therefore when a court of inquiry was held on the 23rd April 1917, Joe’s status was changed from missing to killed in action.
His mother, Alice Clarke, wrote to authorities for more information as a mate of Joe’s had returned his wallet which Joe had left with him before the assault, and included in the wallet was one of Joe’s identity discs. Alice wanted to know if this was a spare or taken off Joe’s body but no answer was forthcoming. Joe was commemorated on a cross put up to remember the 51st Battalion dead at Mouquet Farm but his body was not recovered and he is therefore commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial France.
Joe’s brother Reginald had been killed with the 11th Battalion on Gallipoli on May 11th 1915. Joe & Reginald’s brother in law also died in the war; No.3191 Pte Edward Kingham Powell of the 51st Battalion AIF died on the 27th August 1918. He had married Reginald’s sister Sylvia Clarke in Geraldton in 1916.