Compton, Clarence Henry by Central Coast Council

Gosford District Casualties of World War One Bragg,Clarence EdmundHenry Allen Compton,

Service Service Number Number 1494 1011 Killed in Action 19th May 1915 Died 3/4th September 1917 Gallipoli Peninsula Marakeb, Palestine

Gosford City Council gratefully acknowledges the voluntary efforts of Benalyn Campbell And Vivienne Tranter in compiling this resource

The information in this file has been extracted from official records held in the The Australian War Memorial and National Archives of Australia (ÂŠ Commonwealth of Australia [National Archives of Australia] 2013) Further information on this soldier may be found online at: Commonwealth War Graves The AIF project Content advisory: This file may potentially contain disturbing accounts of service-related injury and death, disease and family grief. Adult supervision is recommended for children using these resources. Individual files should be viewed within the context provided by wider research on service conditions in the 1 st AIF. This resource is presented by Gosford City Council for research purposes only. Please note that copyright for resources contained within remains with the original copyright owners.

NAME

Compton, Clarence Henry

SERVICE NO

1011

UNIT

5th Light Horse

RANK

Transport Sergeant

AGE at Enlistment

40 yrs 2 mths

PLACE OF BIRTH

Fremantle, WA

ADDRESS

Green Point ?

OCCUPATION

Farmer

DATE OF ENLISTMENT

25 Sept 1914

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT PREVIOUS SERVICE

Marrickville, NSW

NEXT OF KIN

Wife Mary Ann Compton, 4 Ventnor Ave. Perth, WA (Estranged)

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Height-5’7”. Weight-9st. 6 lbs. Chest-34-36½ Complexion-Florid. Eyes-Grey. Hair-Dk Brown. Small brown mole left shoulder. C/E

RELIGION

18 mths WA Mounted Infantry.

EMBARKED DISEMBARKED NOTES

Records included depositions from witnesses

WOUNDED/ILLNESS

Committed Suicide, by blowing his brains out with a rifle. Marakeb Palestine.

DIED

3/4 Sept 1917 during the night

BURIED

4 Sept 1917-On top of Tel-el-Marakeb, by Rev Backhouse. Re-interred Gaza Mil Cem. Plot CC Gve 21 changed to Plot 25 Row B Gve 5 1914-15 Star-14675, British War Medal-5605, Victory Medal-5592. Memorial Plaque & Scroll-330365. Daughters Alwyne Beatrice, Gwenyth Joan, Joselyn Hope, Sons Gregory Raynor, Dudley Spence. D53 Outram St. Perth. 2 Id discs, 3 Shirts, 1 shell curio, 3 Pr Socks, 1 Muffler, 1 Pen, 1 Bank Book, 1 comb 1 Wallet containing letters, Scissors, Photos etc. 1 Black wallet containing Notes, 1 envelope containing photos. Post Cards, 1 Testament, 1 Purse containing Crucifix, 2 coins 1 Badge, Passes etc. 1 Watch.

MEDALS DEPENDANTS PERSONAL EFFECTS

WILL CORRESPONDENCE

Adopted Mother Mildred S Cuthbert, Green Point

REMARKS RED CROSS REPORT

Yes

GOSFORD TIMES 30.4.1915. LETTERS FROM EGYPT. Mr C. H. Compton, adopted son of Mr and Mrs Cuthbert, of Green Point, Gosford, who is driver in the 6th Army Service Corps, now stationed in Egypt, writes home from Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;adi Camp under date March 7:We were at Ismaliah the morning of the fight with the Turks; About 750 of the enemy were taken prisoners, and they are now camped a mile from us. Although not actually in the row, our ship was heavily barricaded and extra guards mounted. We were not allowed ashore until we reached Alexandria, and then only to entrain for Cairo, which we eventually reached about 4.30 in the morning. This is a rotten country, but wonderful all the same. It is not a fit place for a white man to live in dust, sand, flies and disease. The general morality is shockingly low. In Cairo one sees buildings said to be a thousand years old, and alongside are houses erected not to years ago. The principal buildings are wonderful to look at, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t describe them, but when I tell you that the finest of them are far and away ahead of anything in Sydney, you will have an idea of the architectural beauty of the city in general, I hope the people of Australia will not believe any of the grossly exaggerated statements made concerning our troops. There is a big row going on about it, but people should only believe what is officially published in the papers. With about a hundred others, I am suffering from an ulcerated throat caused by the dust collecting in the thorax. Under the circumstances speech is difficult.

GOSFORD TIMES. 26.10.1916. Letters From Gosford soldiers “WE WANT MORE MEN” Sergt. G. F. Compton writes:How can I thank you for your kindness and thoughtfulness in sending me the two parcels of comforts. I cannot tell you how much they are appreciated, and how very useful they (the contents) are. It is very nice to know that we are not forgotten by the ones left behind, and I hope to be able to thank you personally after the war is over. We are having a pretty rough time at present, but hope that things will improve. I cannot tell you any “war news” as our censor is pretty keen, but you will see by the papers how we are getting along But WE WANT MORE MEN. Good bye and God bless you all for your kindness in thinking of us and cheering us up in our work.

GOSFORD TIMES. 20.12.1917. HIS LAST LETTER. Sergeant C. H. Compton, 5th Light Horse Regiment, died in Palestine on the 4th or 5th September. He was the adopted son of Mr and Mrs T. Cuthbert, of Green Point, Gosford, who have just received the last letter written home by the dead hero. In it the lad complained of being tired to death after three years continuous service without a break or holiday. He expressed the hope that Mr Hughes would send reinforcements to give a rest to those who were left of the 1st Australian Division. It would make the men at the front more satisfied if they knew that their mates in Australia were coming to give them a hand, but when they had to fight on and on and on for three years at a stretch, it was little wonder that the men (those who had not been killed or wounded) were despondent and despaired of ever seeing their homes again. At time of writing he said that the British and Australians were pushing on in Palestine and hoped to be in the holy city of Jerusalem before Christmas. The advance from the Suez Canal, he wrote, was wonderful. Twelve months ago they were 175 miles back, and during the year they had advanced that distance across sand desert, building railways as they went, laying the mains for a water supply, and fighting the Turks the whole of the distance. He was right â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the troops reached Jerusalem before Christmas, but Sergeant Compton occupies a soldierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grave on the way, as do many other valiant Australians who went across to fight for their country and all that it meant to them and to those who remained behind.

Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 3274814