Compton, Clarence Henry
No.1101A – Sgt Clarence Henry Compton – 5th Light Horse Regiment
Clarence Henry Compton was born in Fremantle in 1874 to George Spencer & Elizabeth Compton. He was educated locally and after leaving school took up work as a farmer.
He married Mary Snellgrove in 1899 in Fremantle and they would have three children from the marriage, Gwen in 1902; Dudley in 1904 and Joselyn in 1906, living in Victoria Rd (later Staton Rd) East Fremantle. Clarence had also spent 18 months in the WA Mounted Infantry. Unfortunately, while working as a Clerk in Kalgoorlie in 1907, Clarence was arrested for fraud and was convicted in court. He was given five months hard labour in Fremantle prison.
After being released from prison, Clarence reunited with his family, but undergoing marriage difficulties he soon headed to New South Wales for a trial separation and while he was over east the Great War had been declared. Instead of returning home to WA he went to the recruiting office in Sydney and offered his services for the AIF in September 1914.
He was accepted as fit with the medical officer finding him to be 40 years old; 5 feet 7 inches in height; 9 stone 6 in weight; chest measurement of 34-36 inches; florid complexion; grey eyes and dark brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. He never mentioned his conviction in WA which could have led to his enlistment being rejected and so Clarence was thus assigned to the 6th Company of the Australian Army Service Corps. He embarked with them from Sydney on the H.M.A.T. “Port Macquarie” on the 21st December 1914 and on reaching Egypt in early 1915, served with his unit when they were stationed near Cairo.
On the 30th April 1915 Clarence left Alexandria Egypt bound for the Gallipoli peninsula. He worked with the transport ships and was initially attached to the 2nd Light Horse Brigade when he landed on Gallipoli. Returning to Egypt he was attached to No.10 Company AASC until the 15TH July when he rejoined his own Company and he served with them in Egypt through the rest of 1915. He had been promoted Lance Corporal in May.
At the beginning of 1916 the 6th Company AASC was based at Serapeum and Clarence spent the first three months of 1916 in this locality. On the 26th March 1916 Clarence was transferred to the 5th Light Horse Regiment and was assigned to this unit’s transport section. On the 19th April he was promoted to Corporal and a week later to Sergeant. On the 4th June 1916 Clarence went to the Australian Mounted Divisional Transport at Kantara on detachment and on the 8th September was promoted to Transport Sergeant. Clarence stayed with the Divisional Transport for the next nine months but on the 5th June 1917 was returned from loan to the 5th Light Horse Regiment.
It appears that Clarence sought a permanent transfer back to the Australian Mounted Division Transport section, though the wheels of the army machine were slow to move and unfortunately on the 4th September 1917 Clarence committed suicide by placing a rifle between his legs and shooting himself in the head, killing himself instantly. He was buried at Tel-el-Marakeb by the Reverend Backhouse of the 7th Light Horse Regiment.
A Court of Inquiry was held immediately to ascertain the manner of Clarence’s death and many witnesses were called to testify as to his state of mind. Farrier Sergeant Cook was the first man to discover Clarence and stated that;
I destroyed a horse last night at about 2130 & under the adjutant’s orders went to arrange with the transport sergeant for its removal at 0600 4/9/17. Sgt Compton was lying in his dugout. I stooped down and grasped him by his toes, being unable to arouse him I looked towards his head and saw blood scattered everywhere and saw that he was dead. I immediately informed the adjutant. The adjutant and medical officer returned with me to Sergeant Compton’s dugout. I saw the medical officer examine the body which was covered with a blanket up to the neck. When the blanket was withdrawn I saw a rifle underneath with the loop of the bayonet frog attached to the trigger by means of a leather lace. The rifle was lying with the muzzle pointing towards his head and the point of the bayonet scabbard was also pointing in that direction. Sgt Compton’s hand lying close to point of scabbard. I saw then that the top of Sgt Compton’s head was blown off.”
Other witnesses were called who all stated that he was a very good worker but prone to heavy drinking on occasions. A friend in the Regiment also stated that he had been depressed about not being granted his wish to be transferred to the Divisional Transport and that his split from his wife before the war had lately been troubling him.
The Inquiry came to the conclusion that Clarence committed suicide while temporarily of unsound mind.
Clarence was reburied after the war in the Gaza War Cemetery in plot XXV.B.5. His wife and children all received pension’s after his death.
His nephew Cecil was killed in France in 1918 with the 4th Pioneer Battalion.