Claude Skews (SN 15457)was born in Ballarat and was an 18 year old fitter and turner when he enlisted in Melbourne on February 21st 1916. He embarked from Melbourne aboard the Ceramic on October 7th and reached Plymouth, England, six weeks later. During that voyage he served 48 hours in detention for ‘stealing goods, the property of his unit’. In March 1917 he arrived in France where he served with the 14th Field Company Engineers. He came through the war without major incident and returned to Australia aboard the Port Lyttleton, reached Melbourne on August 5th 1919 and was discharged on September 12th 1919.

Lucas’s Staffs Appreciation of Brave Men, the original Avenue register, records his name as Claude Skewes.