Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Lot 4798    SESSION 18 (2.30PM FRIDAY 29TH JULY)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Estimate $60
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $170

VICTORY MEDAL 1914-19. 3409 Pte. C.A.Clarke. 1 L.H.R. A.I.F. Impressed. Two single identical medals, both named to same person, extremely fine.

Charles Clarke wrote a letter on 23 March 1935 advising that his Victory Medal was lost and requested a replacement at the cost of three shillings. As requested, he provided a Statutory Declaration on 14 May 1935 declaring that his Victory Medal was stolen from a boarding house. Subsequently a duplicate Victory Medal was received and acknowledged on 30 May 1938. Obviously, sometime later, the original Victory Medal was found.

Charles Alfred Clarke, farmer, age 43, born at Newtown, Sydney, NSW; Enl.23Mar1917 at Sydney, NSW; Emb.03Sep1917; TOS 1LHR 06Dec1917; RTA 29Apr1919; Disch.04Jul1919.

The following obituary was published in the Daily Examiner, Grafton on Friday 16 April 1948 on page 2.

'CHARLES ALFRED CLARKE
CORAMBA - With the death of Charles Alfred Clarke, another link with the pioneers of the district has gone. Mr. Clarke, who was 80 years of age, was born in Sydney. When three or four he spent two years in England with his parents, returning to Sydney where he had his schooling. At the age of 14 he and an elder brother, Henry, went to the Hastings River where they worked on farms and followed other rural pursuits until he was between 18 and 20 years of age when he and his brother rode overland to Coramba where he selected the property on which he resided for the remainder of his life. He was among the first four or five to come to Coramba, and in his 60 years as a resident was active in his support of his church, the Methodist Church at Coramba, in the grounds of which he planted a number of trees. Other organisations with which he was connected were the P.P.U., Progress Association, and Parent and Citizens' Association.

In the First World War he put his age back to enlist, and saw service with the Australian Light Horse in the Palestine campaign. He often talked of his experiences in the Jordan Valley. He never married and his nearest relatives are Messrs. Charles Alfred and Frederick Clarke, of Sydney, who are nephews. His remains were interred in the Methodist portion of the Coramba general cemetery, the Rev. Mr. Spencer officiating at the graveside. Following the church service, Mr. A. J. Wilson, president of the Orara Valley sub-branch, assisted by members of the sub-branch, carried out the R.S.S. and A.I.L.A. burial service at the conclusion of which the Last Post was sounded by Mr. J. Pike.'