Charles Edwin Clarke was born in Ballarat and was a Tinsmith by trade when he enlisted in the 7th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement on 13 July 1915 at the age of 32. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A71 Nestor on 11 October 1915 and disembarked in Egypt. While there he was moved to the 59th Battalion for a short period before being attached to what was to be his permanent unit, the 5th Pioneer Battalion, with whom he moved to France in June 1916. In August 1916 he was evacuated to England, and admitted to the Tankerton Hospital in Kent, suffering from appendicitis. He rejoined his unit in early 1917 but was evacuated to England again after being wounded (gassed) on April 17th 1918. He was treated at the Reading War Hospital before returning to his unit in October, although he continued to have eye and vision problems attributable to exposure to mustard gas. After the fighting ceased he returned to Australia on the Trasos Montes, disembarking at Melbourne on May 22nd 1919.
Tree No 1161