The AIF Project

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Taken on strength, 60th Bn, 26 February 1916.

Admitted to 15th Australian Field Ambulance, 21 March 1916 (parotitis), and transferred same day to No 2 Australian Stationary Hospital (mumps); discharged to unit, 30 March 1916; rejoined Bn, Ferry Post, 7 April 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 18 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916.

Reported Missing, 19 July 1916.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 4 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'.

Statement, Red Cross File No 740605, 3329 Pte E. JUDD, B Company, 60th Bn, 28 February 1917: 'He died of wounds in a hospital somewhere. I helped to carry him out after the charge at Fleurbaix on 19th. July. We got him to the D.[ressing] S.[tation] safely. I do not know whether he was very badly wounded or not. It was difficult to notice in the mix-up. Word came to us however that he had died.'

Second statement, 3379 Pte L. BAKER, 57th Bn (patient, Kitchener's Hospital, Brighton, England), 1 March 1917: 'Informant states that on July 19th at Fromelles Clarke [sic] was attacking in No Man's Land and was hit on the temple by a piece of shell and was killed outright.' Note: 'Eyewitness: Saw him lying there dead.'

Third statement, 1914 Corporal E.M. HAYRES, D Company, 60th Bn, 5 June 1917: 'Sergt. Hope of D Co. told me that at Fleurbaix on the 19th July he saw a man named Calre [sic] sitting up dead against a tree.'

Note: 'no trace Germany[.] Cert. by Capt. Mills 10-10-19.'