Jolly, Joseph Clyde

1944 Private Joseph Clyde Jolly - 51st Battalion AIF

Joseph Clyde Jolly was born on the 17th October 1887 in Walhalla Victoria to Joseph Jenkins Jolly and Annie Jolly. He had a brother David born in 1885 and a sister Annie in 1889.

In 1898 his mother died in Victoria and after her death, JJ Jolly took his children across to the Goldfields in WA.

By 1910 Joseph was employed as a letter carrier in the Boulder district. He then was transferred to the Fremantle Post Office and resided at 48 Ellen Street Fremantle. He continued to work as a Civil Servant for the WA Post Office for the next few years.

On the 20th February 1916 Joseph enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner describing Joe's physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 3 inches tall;

Weight - 120lbs;

Chest Measurement - 31-35 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Dark.

After his successful enlistment, Joe was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.56 Training Depot. He was taken through the basics of infantry training at this depot camp for the next few weeks. On the 4th April 1916 he was then transferred to the 3rd Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion AIF.

Joe trained with this group in WA for the next few months. On the 20th July 1916 they received their orders to depart and so they entrained to Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Seang Bee. The ship then set sail for England, reaching Plymouth on the 9th September 1916. Joe and his group were then disembarked and sent to the 13th Training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains.

Joe spent the next few months training there and on the 28th November 1916 was sent to France. After arriving at Etaples he was sent to the 4th Australian Division Base Depot. He spent the next two weeks in this camp and was then taken on strength of the 51st Battalion on the 14th December 1916.

The 51st Battalion were then stationed on the Somme battlefield near Flers. They would be spending the 1916/17 French winter on this muddy freezing battlefield. Joe came through the next few months unscathed.

In March 1917 the Germans began withdrawing to their pre-prepared defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line. The Australian and British units pressed them all the way and several sharp and vicious battles were fought around the Hindenburg Line outpost villages.

On the 2nd April 1917 the 51st Battalion were involved in the successful capture of Noreiul village. However during their advance Joe was shot through the left hand. After initial treatment at the field ambulance he was sent to the 11th Casualty Clearing Station and from there was then sent to the 16th General Hospital at Le Treport. Joe spent two weeks in hospital here and was then shipped to England.

On arrival in England Joe was sent to the 1st Southern General Hospital at Birmingham. He spent nearly three weeks there and was then transferred to No.1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital on the 8th May 1917.

The bullet had done a lot of damage to his hand so Joe was marked as medically unfit for further service. On the 14th May 1917 he was transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. Joe would remain here for the next few months waiting to be assigned a ship home.

On the 27th August 1917 Joe boarded the transport ship Pakeha and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle in October 1917. After being given a medical examination at No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle, Joe was discharged from the AIF on the 1st November 1917. Joe was then granted a small military pension of 7/6 per fortnight.

Joe returned home to 48 Ellen Street (later renumbered 21) and resumed his role as a Civil Servant with the GPO.

In 1918 Joe married Louisa Caroline Emma Hickman and they then moved to Nedlands in the 1920's. They lived there till early 1950 when they moved to Bunbury for a few years before returning to Perth and living at Doubleview.

Joe died on the 25th January 1968 aged 80. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.

According to newspaper photo below is the Jolly family - D Jolly (from Marda WA), JC Jolly from Fremantle and their father JJ Jolly (Westonia). All three served on the Western Front and all made it back home