ASHBURNER, Clifford William Ernest
| Service Numbers: | 38, V80914, VX42085 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 October 1914, Enlisted at Morphettville, SA |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 12 Garrison Battalion (VIC) |
| Born: | Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6 September 1889 |
| Home Town: | Kensington, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Pugilist |
| Died: | Bronchopneumonia and Cerebrovascular, Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia, 25 June 1966, aged 76 years |
| Cemetery: |
Healesville Cemetery, Victoria |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Oct 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 38, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Enlisted at Morphettville, SA | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Jan 1915: | Embarked Corporal, 38, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Karroo, Melbourne | |
| 11 Jan 1915: | Involvement Corporal, 38, 9th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Karroo embarkation_ship_number: A10 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Nov 1915: | Honoured Mention in Dispatches, For devotion to duty during a Turkish counter attack on 29th and 30th of June, at 2 a.m. when a party of Turks, who had been lying in the scrub, charged the machine gun position at Turk’s Point. One soldier was bayoneted and as the Turks were attempting to seize one of the guns. Sgt Clifford shot the closest one with his rifle and then turned the machine gun on them, causing the rest to flee. The Australians captured 50 rifles from the fleeing Turks. | |
| 1 Sep 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Corporal, 38, 4th Light Horse Brigade Machine Gun Squadron, 3 M.D |
World War 2 Service
| 6 Oct 1939: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, V80914 | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul 1940: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, V80914, 12 Garrison Battalion (VIC) | |
| 9 Jul 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, VX42085 | |
| 12 Aug 1940: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, VX42085 |
My grandfather
My mother Alice Mabel Mills nee Ashburner was one of his daughters.
Spent much time looking for my grandfather.
I am from South Africa.
Submitted 30 August 2017 by Russel Mills
Biography contributed by Zidane McNamara
Clifford Arundell William Ernest Ashburner was born on the 6th September, 1889 in Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage in South Africa. Even though he was only 12, it didn’t stop him from signing up as one of Driscoll's Scouts, earning himself the Queens South Africa Medal with Orange Free State, Transvaal and South Africa 1902 clasp. He signed his papers on the 19th October, 1914 in Morphettville (SA) with his occupation listed as ‘Pugilist’ at the age of 25 years and 3 months.
He was immediately picked out as a Private for the 9th Light Horse Regiment’s Machine Gun Section, which led to a quick promotion to Lance Corporal on the 1st December, 1914 and then onto Corporal on the 1st January, 1915. He embarked on the H.M.A.T (A10) Karroo from Melbourne on the 11th January, 1915 as a Corporal. He proceeded onto Gallipoli on the 16th May, being promoted to Sergeant on the 9th June on Gallipoli. On August 6th, he saw what was unfolding at the Nek. After arrived in Moascar, he ‘painted the town red’ and ran into trouble. On the 2nd August, 1916 he was put infront of a court martial with Lieutenant Colonel T J Todd [10th L.H.R] as President.
(1) Sect 18 AA. Stealing goods the property of a comrade, in that he on or about February 1916 stole a pair of Binoculars the property of No.249 L/Corpl L S Driscoll, M.G Section, 9th.L.H.Regiment.
It alternatively read that he acquired the property, but it was not proceeded with. He pleaded Not Guilty, but was found Guilty. His punishment was reduced to the ranks and 6 months Hard Labour, confirmed by Brigadier J M Antill, commanding 3rd Light Horse Brigade on the 3rd August, 1916. He was admitted to Detention Barracks on the 2nd September in Cairo, and on the 4th September in Alexandria and I quote
‘The Commander-in-Chief has suspended the sentence of 6 months I.H.L now being undergone at the Citadel Detention Barracks Cairo and orders have been given for him to be released and sent to rejoin his Unit.’
Despite his record, he was transferred to the ANZAC Provost Corps [APC] on the 21st November, 1916 in Moascar where he was taken on strength the same day. On the 28th July, 1917 he joined the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment at Moascar. On the 3rd August, he transferred to the 4th Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron and was taken on strength on the 5th August at S.Marakeb. On the 26th September, he was charged with ‘Conduct to the prejudice of good order & military discipline in that he on the morning of Sept 20th 1917 created a disturbance in the Squadron lines. Award: 6 Days F.P No.2.’ After this incident, he was admitted to hospital with Diarrhea on the 28th December, discharged to rest camp on the 20th February, 1918 being taken back onto strength of the Squadron on the 29th March, 1918. On the 15th August, 1918 he was admitted into hospital again with Diarrhea, discharged to duty on the 8th September and rejoined the unit 6 days later. On the 19th September, he winded up in hospital again suffering from another sickness. He was discharged to duty on the 30th October, and arriving back on the 30th November. On the 27th February, 1919 ‘At Moascar, 26-2-19. When on Active Service, creating a disturbance in the Sqdn lines.’ The second charge was involving a Mess orderly in the ‘execution of his duty’. For this, he was awarded 28 days F.P No.2. He went home on H.T City of Poona on the 7th April, 1919. He disembarked on the 14th May at the 3rd Military District, being discharged on the 1st September, 1919. He died on the 25th June, 1966. It was known that he held a photo of the grave of Sergeant ‘Walker’ West who fell at Semakh on the 25th September, 1918 and that he posed as a Distinguished Conduct Medal winner, though there is no proof to substantiate this decides from his discharge papers from WW1 stating ‘Ashburner D.C.M’
Sidenote: Clifford was grandson of one Colonel (Honorary Major General) William James Ashburner (1819-1888), who was commissioned as Cornet in the Bombay Army (January 1837), and later promoted Lieutenant in March 1840 in the 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry. He participated in the First Afghan War, promoted Captain in August, 1850. He later saw action in the Anglo-Persian War of 1856 and the Indian Mutiny. His son (Ernest) raised the Ashburner Light Horse in the Boer War.
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