Dunkley, Claude Benjamin

Major Claude Benjamin Dunkley 2nd Battalion & 28th Battalion AIF

Claude Benjamin Dunkley was born at Cheltenham Victoria in 1895 to Ben and Sarah Dunkley. The family moved across to Western Australia while Claude was still young and took up residence in Fremantle. The family lived at 33 Adelaide Street Fremantle.

Claude completed his education in Fremantle and after leaving school took up work for the Merchant Marine. This work took Claude around the Australian coastline.

On the 13th January 1915 Claude was in Sydney when he enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording Claude's physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 6 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 147lbs;

Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Fair.

After his successful enlistment Claude was sent to Liverpool Camp and was assigned to the 5th Reinforcements to the 2nd Battalion AIF with the regimental number 1941. 

It wasn't long before Claude and his group left Sydney aboard the transport ship HMAT Hororata and set sail for Egypt.

After arriving in Egypt Claude and his group only spent a short time there as on the 17th June 1915 Claude joined the 2nd Battalion on Gallipoli.

The 2nd Battalion occupied a central part of the battlefield in front of Lone Pine. Plans were well underway for an attack on the Turkish positions on Lone Pine.

On the 6th August 1915 the 1st Brigade of the AIF, including the 2nd Battalion attacked the Turkish line at Lone Pine. Over the next four days a viscous hand to hand fighting took place for supremacy of this position. The majority of the Turkish line was taken but at a high cost.

During the action Claude was hit in the jaw by a bullet. He was taken out of the line and brought aboard a hospital ship. Due to the large number of casualties only rudimentary medical aid was given until he reached Egypt on the 12th August 1915. He was admitted to the 2nd Australian General Hospital in Cairo.

Claude's wound was severe and it was decided to send him back to Australia. On the 17th September 1915 he was put aboard the Hospital ship Beltana and set sail for Australia.

It appears that Claude was disembarked in Fremantle, which meant that he would have spent time at No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle.

 Claude was officially discharged from the AIF in January 1917. However Claude must have felt that he still had something to offer and he re-enlisted in Fremantle on the 1st March 1917. 

He was accepted for service with the medical examiner recording Claude's physical attributes which were similar to the first time he enlisted. However the medical examiner noted under the section called Distinctive Marks that Claude had a gunshot wound on his jaw.

After being sent to Blackboy Hill Camp Claude was assigned to the 25th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF. This group embarked from Fremantle on the 29th June 1917 aboard the transport ship HMAT Borda. 

After the long sea voyage the ship arrived at Plymouth England on the 25th August 1917. He was then marched into the 3rd Training Battalion at Durrington Camp.

On the 27th September Claude was sent to the 7th Training Battalion as he would now be joining the 28th Battalion.

On the 20th October 1917 Claude was taken on strength of the 28th Battalion. The Battalion were then holding the line near Ypres in Belgium.

In February 1918 Claude was granted a weeks leave in England and in March spent time in hospital with scabies, however he was back with his unit by the 17th March 1918.

Four days later the Germans launched their large offensive which broke through the British front line further south. The Australians, including Claudes unit were sent south to help stop the German advance.

Claude saw action around the Somme River and also Villers-Bretonneux as the Australian's stopped the Germans and then began pushing them back. On the 17th June Claude was promoted to Lance Corporal and in the following weeks saw action around Monument Wood.

On the 8th August 1918 the 28th Battalion took part in the initial stages of the advance from Villers-Bretonneux and they took all their objectives. Claude came through unscathed and shortly after was promoted to Corporal.

Claude must have been showing leadership abilities as on the 26th August 1918 he left the 28th Battalion to attend an Officers Training School at Oxford. The course ran from September 1918 to December 1918 and even when the Armistice was declared on the 11th November 1918, the course continued.

On the 4th January 1919 Claude on completing the course was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was then posted for duty with the 5th Training Battalion for a few weeks, before returning to France on the 21st January 1919. He then had a weeks at the base details camp at Le Havre before rejoining the 28th Battalion on the 28th January 1919.

The 28th Battalion were then in the vicinity of Charleroi in Belgium. Claude remained with them for the next several weeks but on the 24th March 1919 went and joined the Australian War Graves detachment. He was then promoted to Lieutenant on the 4th April 1919.

Claude served with the Australian war graves detachment until the 23rd August 1919 when he returned to England. Unfortunately there are not many details as to his duties while with the war graves unit.

Claude returned to Sutton Veny Camp where he waited to be allotted a berth on a troopship home. On the 6th October 1919 Claude went aboard the transport ship Pakeha in Southampton and set sail for home, returning to Fremantle in November 1919.

According to the National Archives service record his rank on demobilisation was Lieutenant but the Australian War Memorial has him as a Major. It does appear that during his time with the war graves unit he was promoted to Major.

He was discharged from the AIF on the 29th February 1920.

In 1920 he married Esther Rose Mellor in Fremantle.

In 1925 he was working as a foreman and was living in Pearse Street North Fremantle but soon moved to 25 Bedford Street East Fremantle.

In the 1930's Claude also worked as a Captain on the steamship Zephyr which travelled on the Swan River.

Claude died on the 28th June 1982 aged 88. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican Mon A8 0007.