It is sometimes easy to overlook the soldiers that came home and didn't give the "ultimate sacrifice", but sometimes life at home was never the same after seeing the atrocities of war.
My great-grand uncle Clarence Roy Horkings served in WWI enlisting in 1916 and returning home in 1919.
Clarence was Victorian born and bred. His grandparents, Anastasia (nee Colston) and Edward Horkings, were known as his parents, though their daughter Lucy Colston was actually his mother, father unknown to us. He was born in Melbourne in 1897. He was involved with the military from a young age, joining the cadets around age 13, where he was involved for 4 years. He was also a member of the Citizen Forces for 9 months previous to signing up. He was at some point declared unfit for service due to his chest measurement, but was eventually cleared for service!
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| 1910 - Clarence in his cadet uniform |
Clarence enlisted in Melbourne on 17th of April 1916, initially placed in the 29th battalion, 9th Reinforcement of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) with the rank of Private, Number 3803.
He was described as 18 yrs 10 months of age, a grocer, unmarried, next of kin was his “mother” Anastasia. He was 5'5 1/4 inches tall, and weighed 110 lb (a very slight build at 50kgs). He had fair complexion, fair hair and grey eyes. He had 2 vaccination scars on his left arm, an appendix scar on his abdomen, and several moles noted on the back of his neck and on his face.
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Clarence joined the war effort
age 18 |
He did his basic training in Geelong, where he received his anti-typhoid injections and his Conduct Sheet was clean, no offences. He was judged fit for active service.
He went from Geelong to Sydney and then on to Plymouth, arriving there in November 1916. He did 2 years in the 29th battalion. He saw the action at
Polygon Wood. In Nov 1917 he spent a week at Pigeon School (yes!) read about how carrier pigeons were used to send messages during the war.
In Jan 1918 he went on 2 weeks leave in the UK. Later that year he was transferred to the 32nd Battalion in France and was made a Lance Corporal. At the beginning of 1919 he was allowed a further 2 weeks leave from France and rejoined his unit in February and then headed home, marching from France to Weymouth in the UK in April.
He arrived home to Australia on 23rd June 1919 aboard the Orita.
Note: I have a copy of the diary of John Henry Llewellyn Turnbull of the 32n Battalion. It is interesting to read the diaries of the men in these battalions, shelling and bombing all around them, it puts a real perspective on what they endured.
Below is a letter from Private James Russell to Clarence's mother. Click the images to open the full size to read.
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