Ancestor Details

Name of Ancestor: Henry Wilberforce Clarkson

Ancestor's date of birth: 14/06/1872

Ancestor's date of death: 12/06/1925

Cause of Death: Heart failure whilst on his farm.

Service and Life Before the Boer War: A farmer at Toodyay in West Australia with no previous military service.

Service Number: 6

Colony or State of enlistment:WA, Place of Enlistment: Fremantle (20/12/1899)

Unit: 2^nd Western Australian Mounted Infantry

Rank attained in Boer War: SGT, Date Effective: 15/03/1901

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): LT Date Effective: 1901

Murray Page: 405

Contingent: Second Western Australian

Ship: SS Surrey, Date of Sailing: 03/02/1900

Memorial details: Detail not provided

Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Orange Free State, Cape Colony, Belfast, Diamond Hill and Johannesburg clasps.

Personal Characteristics: Detail not provided

Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided

Details of service in war: March 1900 - March 1901 in north-west Cape Colony, Free State, and east Transvaal. Promoted corporal 03 March 1900; sergeant 15 March 1901. Mentioned in Commander in Chief's despatches 02 April 1901.

Service and life after the Boer War: After the war Henry returned to family farming in today district. He revived the volunteer Army movement in the town and by August 1901 there were 40 men enrolled. He was officer commanding with the rank of Lieutenant of the Eastern Districts Light Horse. He became actively involved in community groups: the Agricultural Society, the Farmers and Settler's Association (President), the Anglican Church, Newcastle tennis club (Local) and was a JP. He later acquired sheep stations in the north west of WA. He died at the age of 52 years.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Gaye Drummond Atkinson, Swanbourne WA
Relationship to Ancestor: Grand Niece

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