Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Charles Edward and Alice Gertrude Fiennes-Clinton; husband of E. A. Fiennes-Clinton, of Hawkstone Rd., Carlisle, Perth, Western Australia.

Settled in Australia in 1912

Died of wounds accidentally recieved in France from 3475 Pte Wilfred Crossley Bowler (/explore/people/366635) by his "careless handling of a loaded revolver" which hit Charles in the hip/abdomen on 17 Aug 1916. Charles died the same day.

Births Jun 1886   Fiennes-Clinton Edward H W. Derby 8b 481

He is remembered on the BROMYARD QUEEN ELIZABETH SCHOOL WAR MEMORIAL in Herefordshire.

From François Berthout, Australia and NZ in WWI
 
it is here, at the Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension that my day with my boys of the Somme ends
the Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension is a very beautiful cemetery that I visit frequently but today I have the privilege of coming here for a very charming lady living in Australia and whom I am happy to have among my friends. This lovely lady very kindly asked me to come here to pay a very respectful tribute to his great great grandfather, Private number 2649, Edward Henry Fiennes-Clinton who fought in the 51st Australian Infantry Battalion and who was accidentally killed in Pozieres on August 17, 1916 at the age of 30 and I thank with all my heart his great great grandaughter who gave me the privilege of going to the grave of Edward.

The first Commonwealth burial took place in the communal cemetery in October 1915 and the last on 1 July 1916. By that date, field ambulances had come to the village in readiness for the attack on the German front line eight kilometres away, and the extension was begun on the eastern side of the cemetery.

The fighting from July to November 1916 on the northern part of the Somme front accounts for the majority of the burials in the extension, but some are from the German attack in the spring of 1918.

Today, 1360 men rest in peace here, young and courageous, they all answered the call of duty for their country, for their families, united in the most beautiful spirit of camaraderie and determination they walked and gave every part of their youth in the trenches which saw fall a whole generation of brave men who served with pride and determination with their friends and comrades with whom they crossed the hell of the battlefield and who fell together in fields which are today become peaceful and silent, gone but not and never forgotten, they will live forever, young and proud, in our thoughts and through the light of the flame of remembrance, which for them will never cease to shine, they will never be forgotten

Edward Henry Fiennes-Clinton was baptised on 16th June 1886 at St Mary's Church, Bootle. In the 1911 census Edward had left the family home and is shown as a boarder aged 24 years living with a number of seamen apprentices at 154 The Chaplaincy, Hate Street, East India Dock Road, Poplar, London. He emigrated and settled in Australia in 1912 where he met and married Edith Annie Guest, on 16th August 1912 at Port Adelaide and lived at Hawkstone Road, Carlisle, Perth, Western Australia. They  had 2 sons Edward Horace born 1913 at Melbourne and Gilbert Henry born 1914.

Served on the School Ship HMS "Conway".
Age on arrival in Australia 25
Age at embarkation 29
Next of kin-Wife, Mrs Edith Annie Fiennes-Clinton, Victoria Park East PO, Victoria Park East, Western Australia and sometime of Hawkstone Road, Carisle, Perth, Western Australia

He enlisted at Perth, Australia on 20th August 1915, at 29 years and 3 months old; his medical examination noted he had a tattoo of a dragon on his right forearm. He embarked from Freemantle on 2nd November 1915 in HMAT A38 Ulysses and landed in Zeiteun, Egypt on 31st March 1916 and joined  51st battalion at Tel el Kebir, Egypt the same day. He embarked from Alexandria on 5th June 1916 and landed at Marseilles, France on 12th June 1916. He died aged 30 on 17th August 1916, at the South Midland Casualty Clearing Station, France of wounds accidentally received from 3475 Pte Wilfred Crossley Bowler who by his "careless handling of a loaded revolver" fired a shot which hit Charles in the hip/abdomen. Charles died the same day.

A court of enquiry was set up at Bonneville on 20th August 1916 its President was Captain R. Christie, into the death of Private Fiennes-Clinton and it was found that the death was an accident due to the careless handling of a loaded revolver by Private 3475 Bowler.

Article published on 8th November 1916 in the Newark Advertiser :- Son of Charles Edward & Alice Gertrude Fiennes-Clinton. Husband of E.A. Fiennes-Clinton, Hawkstone Road, Carlisle, Perth, W. Australia Native of Bootle. Grandson of the late Rev. Henry Fiennes-Clinton, Rector of Cromwell for nearly forty years. Had married and settled in Victoria Park East, Western Australia with his wife and two little sons. Enlisted at Perth on 13th August 1915, age 29 years & 3 months. Occupation: Labourer. Embarked on H.M.A.T. Ulysses at Freemantle on 2nd Nov. 1915 for Middle-East. Transferred from 28th to 51st Battalion on 3rd March 1916. Sailed from Alexandria (for Marseille) on 5th June. Died of abdominal & hip wound at 1st/2nd South Midland C.C.S. Court of enquiry found that wound was caused by the careless handling of a loaded revolver by Private Bowyer.

He is remembered on the:

Newark  Cemetery War Memorial  and in
Newark - St Mary's Church - Borough of Newark Roll of Honour War Memorial