Clifton, Francis Bernard

45 Sergeant Francis Bernard Clifton - 36th Heavy Artillery Group

Francis Bernard Clifton was born in Hobart Tasmania on 22nd August 1889 to Thomas and Martha Annie Clifton. He had eleven siblings.

He was educated in Tasmania and after leaving school took up work locally as a butcher.

He then joined the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery of the Australian Permanent Forces. He was posted to Western Australia and was serving at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks in Burt Street Fremantle.

On the 1st June 1915, Antonio along with many of the Permanent Gunners at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks was able to enlist for service overseas. He was passed as fit for service and he named his Mother Annie, in Huon Tasmania as his next of kin.

The medical examiner recorded Francis's physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 10 inches tall;

Weight - 147lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-38 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Light.

The Gunners at Fremantle were then sent to Victoria to join up with the other permanent artillerymen from around Australia and to complete their training before embarking.

On the 17th July 1915 Francis and the Gunners of the newly formed 36th Heavy Artillery Group left Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship Orsova and sailed for England. After arriving in England in September 1915, the men were disembarked and sent to the Artillery training Depot. They were initially stationed at Lydd, then Taunton in Somerset where they spent the Christmas of 1915.

The majority of the men were then organised into the 54th and 55th Batteries of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group. It appears that Frank remained in England and was assisting the 36th Heavy Artillery Group HQ with the transfer of reinforcements to France.

Frank remained in England until the 1st December 1916 and was then sent across to France. He was then sent to the Artillery Base Depot at Le Havre. After two weeks Frank fell ill and was sent to the 51st Stationary Hospital at Etaples where he was diagnosed with venereal disease.

He was in Etaples till March 1917 and was then transferred to England. On arrival he was sent to Eastbourne Military Hospital where he remained till the 30th April 1917. Frank was then transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield.

He was at Harefield till June 1917 and was then sent to No.4 Command Depot Camp before being transferred to No.2 Command Depot at Weymouth. On the 16th July 1917 Frank was sent to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell.

He remained there until the 22nd October 1917 when he returned to France. After a few days at the Base Depot Camp Frank joined the 54th Battery of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group.

The unit was then in the vicinity of Ypres, but in November was transferred to Cambrai to support the British offensive there. Frank was then promoted to the rank of Temporary Sergeant and this rank was confirmed in early 1918.

In March 1918 he was granted leave to Paris and returned to his unit after two weeks. Just after his return the Germans launched their Spring Offensive which broke through the British line further south. The Australian infantry Divisions were sent south to help stop this advance but the Heavy Artillery remained up in Northern France and Belgium.

When the Germans launched another surprise attack in Belgium the Heavy Artillery had to hurriedly withdraw their guns and personnel before setting up again in northern France. Once the front had settled the Heavy Artillery began supporting their infantry operations once again.

Frank served with the 54th Battery for the remainder of the war. After the Armistice he was granted two weeks leave to England. He returned to France on the 4th December 1918 and was with his unit till the 30th April 1919. Frank then spent seven days in the base depot camp and returned to England on the 7th May 1919.

He would now stay in the AIF Depot camp while waiting to be assigned a berth on a troopship home. On the 19th June 1919 Frank boarded the transport ship Hindhuk and set sail for Australia, disembarking In Fremantle on the 7th August 1919.

His brother Leslie David Clifton had died in the Great War in Belgium on the 10th February 1918.

Frank was discharged from the AIF on the 7th October 1919. He stayed for a year in Fremantle but then returned to Tasmania.

In 1921 he married Mary Matilda Duggan and they had two children, Audrey in 1922 and Winifred in 1924.

He took up farming in the Oatlands region of Tasmania.

Unfortunately, Francis died on the 8th March 1925 at the Repatriation Hospital in Hobart aged 36. He was buried at Cornelian Bay Cemetery.