Clarke, Reginald Charles
No.766 – Private Reginald Charles Clarke – 11th Battalion AIF
Reginald Charles Clarke was born in Moss Vale Sydney New South Wales in 1889 to Joseph and Alice Clarke. The family moved to Western Australia while Reg was still young and took up residence in Fremantle. Reginald was educated at Fremantle State School and after leaving took up work as a labourer. He later moved to Geraldton with his family and served for 1 ½ years in the WAIR. Pre war the Clarke family moved from Geraldton to Yalgoo.
On the 15th August 1914 he offered his services to the AIF and was immediately accepted for service. He was passed as fit with the Medical Officer finding him as 5 feet 8 inches tall; weight of 160 lbs; chest measurement of 38 inches; dark complexion; brown eyes and black hair. At Blackboy Hill Camp on the 6th October 1914, Reg was assigned to “G” Company of the original 11th Battalion AIF. The 11th Battalion continued training through October, but were soon warned to be ready for departure. They soon left Blackboy Hill Camp and entrained for Fremantle where they boarded the H.M.A.T. “Ascanius”. This ship departed Fremantle on the 2nd November 1914 and made its way to Egypt.
Upon arrival in Egypt the 8 Companies of the 11th were turned into 4 companies with the result that Reg’s G Company became part of the new “D” Company. The 11th Battalion had their camp at Mena at the base of the pyramids just outside of Cairo. The 11th Battalion as part of the 3rd Brigade trained here until March 1915 when they were told they were leaving for destination unknown. It had been decided to make a landing on the Turkish coast to support the Navy’s attempt to force the Dardanelles Straits. The 3rd Brigade had been picked from among the Australians to make the initial landing. After they boarded their ships in Alexandria the men found themselves heading across the Mediterranean until they reached their destination, which was the Greek island of Lemnos, just off the Turkish Coast. Through March and April the men of the 11th Battalion lived on the ships and disembarked to train on the island. In April they were joined on the island by Australian, New Zealand, British, Indian and French troops.
On April 25th 1915, the landing took place, with the 3rd Brigade coming ashore at what was to become known as Anzac Cove. The 11th Battalion actually landed a bit north at what is called North Beach. Reg survived the landing and the first two weeks of the campaign unscathed. Unfortunately on the 11th May 1915 he was killed in action. He was buried at Victoria Gully Cemetery in the southern portion of the Anzac position.
In 1919 when the war graves parties came to the Gallipoli area, the men in Victoria Gully Cemetery were exhumed to Brown’s Dip Cemetery though the men buried here were moved again due to the unsuitableness of the terrain. Reg was moved for the final time to Lone Pine Cemetery where he lies in Plot III.D.3.
His brother Joseph was killed at Mouquet Farm on the 3rd September 1916 with the 51st Battalion. 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 in1916.