Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of William and Beatrice ELLIOTT, Green Ridge, Richmond River, NSW

Husband of Beatrice Eva Mary nee GOODHEW

Clarence served at Egypt and Gallipoli - Landing and was invalided after four monthes to Ras-el-Tiu then to the 1st Southern General Hospital in Birmingham.  He returned to duty in France with the Anzac Provost Corps in March 1917 but contracted Pleurisy in July 1917.  He returned to duty after recovering.  His brother-in-law and 14 cousins have served in the Grat War and three have made the Supreme Sacrifice.

Clarence died from suicide in 1926 at the age of 35 leaving a 38 year old widow with five children.  There had been a warrant issued for his arrest, charged with wife desertion - this was cancelled 08 September 1926 as he was deceased.

Interestingly this was his death notice - ELLIOTT.-August 4, at Geelong, Victoria, Clarence Simpson Elliott (late C Company, 2nd Battalion), beloved husband of Margaret, and  father of Beatrice, Clarence, Joan, Ruth, and George, and son-in-law Nurse Jackson. Gladesville, aged 35.

An enquiry was opened into the death of Clarence Simpson Elliott who was found dead last week in a room attached to Barrett's tailoring establishment in Malcop Street, wthe the end of a flexible gas tube in his mount, and the gas turned full on.  Ethel Sharp, tailoress, gave evidence of finding he body on the morning of August 3rd, when she went upstairs on a errand connected with her work.   She had at once notified Arthur Bruhn, a man in business next door.  He gave evidence corroborative of her statement at the inquest.  Robert Barrett a tailor, said htat he had first met deceased at the Inerbriates' Home at Lara some time ago. On the second of August he met him again, and later, on hearing that a car was to call for Elliott, left him in the room where he was later found, and went to his home.  A letter was read from the deceased's widow, who lives at St. Elmor, Orient street, Gladesville, Sydney.  She stated that before her husband left home about four months ago he had a nervous breadkdown and been complaining of a fearful pain in his head.  He had been gassed at the war, and used to have violent coughing fits, and generally collapsed when they came on him.  She asked that everthing possible be done for the deceased, who left five children at present being supoorted by the State.  The Deputy-Coriner's (Mr Anderson) verdict was suicide by inhaling gas through a rubber tube, causing suffocation.  Evidence was also given by Constables Barker and Rankine.

Lance-Corporal Elliott was in the first landing at Gallipoli and he was there till the evacuation in December, 1915. His 195 centimeter height (6 feet 5 inches) earned him the  nickname Tiny.  A first-generation Australian of Irish parents, after Gallipoli he served in France, where he was wounded at least twice. After one bad wound during May, 1916, he was sent to hospital in Birmingham, England.  He had been badly wounded when helping to collect his dead comrades' bodies during an armistice. He ran into an unexploded shell which partly caved in his chest, causing him continual chest problems there after.
His family holds a number of his letters, including one published in the Richmond River Express on February 15, 1916, entitled 'What a little girl may do'. It was a letter to Mrs  Payne's older sister telling her how she could keep the Diggers' morale up by knitting warm clothing for them. She could also help by befriending children whose fathers or  brothers were away at war.
According to the Australian War Memorial, he returned to Australia on February 19,1919, after serving with the Australian Provost Corps as a member of the multi-nation occupational force known as the Rhine Force.
He lived in Ryde and worked as a prison warder at Bathurst Jail till he died on a visit to a sister in Melbourne.
Mrs Ryde said she could remember her father carrying her on his shoulder nearly everywhere he went and that he used to see a lot of his World War I mates. An Australian War  Memorial spokesman said the famous photo graph had been taken by a Royal Navy photographer and given to Australian authorities after the war. No details about it were known.  From the location it had probably been taken between July and December, 1915. The cans in the background probably had been used to carry water to the front lines.