Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Clifford Paul Conly was born on the 10th of June 1888, though the hospital is unknown, and grew up in Norwood, South Australia. He was an apprentice painter for the timber manufacturing company, Lewis & Co, who are still in operation today.9 His religion was the Church of England, and he was living with his wife Mrs May Leslie Conly at 120 Beulah Road, Norwood (also pictured above) at his enlistment. Clifford enlisted a mere 22 days after war broke out, on the 19th of August 1914, at Morphettville. Part of the enlistment process was a medical check-up and a record of the soon-to-be soldier’s appearance. At enlistment, Clifford was 5’11” tall, weighed 68kg (150lb), had a dark complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair and a chest that measured 96.52cm (38 inches). At the time, he was 26 years and 2 months old. Though he enlisted on the 19th of August, Clifford didn’t take his ‘Oath to Enlistment’ until the 23rd. Clifford was placed in the January Reinforcements for the Army Medical Corps (A.M.C), in the 3rd Field Ambulance, B Squadron as a private. Though we do not know for sure, Clifford may have had some sort of medical experience to have been placed in this unit.1

DURING THE WAR

On the 2nd of March 1914, Clifford was placed in the January Reinforcements of the Army Medical Corps (A.M.C) and his life as a humble painter drastically changed to one of medical servitude to his unit and country. It took until August 20th that year for him and the rest of the 3rd Field Ambulance to embark from Adelaide on the ‘HMAT Medic A7’, bound for Albany in Western Australia to pick up the last of the soldiers enlisted in the 3rd Field Ambulance. On November 1,1914, the entire 3rd Field Ambulance left Albany (the ship is unknown) for Colombo, Sri Lanka on their journey to Cairo, Egypt.3 days later, the unit arrived in Colombo though they did not stay long and arrived in Aden, Yemen on the 16th of November.5 They spent some time in Aden, long enough for an outbreak of measles to claim two lives,7 before Clifford and the 3rd Field Ambulance continued on to the Red Sea on November 28, 1914. On the 1st of December that year, they landed in Suez and then, a day later, Port Said. They spent a week travelling from Port Said to Alexandria and, at 7:40pm, on the 9th of December 1914, Clifford left Alexandria on a train, bound for Cairo. He arrived at 2:45am the following day and was immediately sent to Mena Camp for training. Clifford underwent tireless training for three months in a basic medical course and life on the battlefield until he was finally appointed a member of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) to travel to Gallipoli and attempt to capture the narrow water passage, the Dardanelles, in a battle that was supposed to change the course of the war.6

For the next two months, reinforcements arrived plentifully at Mena Camp and there was a certain buzz about the excitement that had been building around this attack to be launched late-April. And then, finally, Clifford’s unit embarked on March 1, 1915, aboard the ‘HMTS Malda’ (no record or pictures) for Mudros Bay, on the island of Lemnos, which was later to become a hospital. They anchored in Mudros Bay 5 days later and began their planning and regrouping in preparation for the Gallipoli attack. At 7am on the 7th of April 1915, Clifford’s unit was assigned to be carried to Gallipoli aboard ‘HMT Nizam’, and it seemed as though the suspense for the inevitable battle hung in the air all over Mudros Bay.5

At 10:30pm, April 24th, 1915, Clifford left Mudros Bay on ‘HMT Nizam’ and, at long last, the 3rd Field Ambulance were about to give up their safety for the war. Under the cover of darkness, Clifford, his unit and their battalions anchored HMT Nizam and opted to land on the beaches of Gallipoli in small rowing boats to minimise noise and hopefully catch the Turkish troops who had stationed themselves at the top of the cliffs on the beach by surprise. At 4:30am, on the 25th of April 1915, Clifford disembarked. And the carnage began. In merely two days, the 3rd Field Ambulance lost 3 lives and found that 22 of their men had been injured. On the 26th, the 3rd Field Ambulance were ordered out to the battlefield to begin their duties as stretcher bearers; Clifford included. And so began Clifford’s life attending to reports of wounded soldiers and saving lives.

However, on the 29th of May, Clifford received a shrapnel wound to his left shoulder and was attended to by the available medical professionals. It was then decided that his wounds needed further attention and, as both the hospital ships and temporary medical centres on Lemnos Island were full, Clifford was sent over to the small Mediterranean island of Malta. He arrived on the 5th of June 1915, in the small region of Imtarfa (now ‘Mtarfa’) on the island of Malta and, on the 17th of that month, as Clifford had made no significant improvement, his next of kin (his wife, May Leslie Conly) was notified of his condition in case the situation worsened. 6 days later, May sent a letter asking about Clifford’s progress and the hospital he was stationed in. A reply was sent, though it was not documented.6

On the 2nd of August, Clifford’s situation proved so dire, he embarked from Malta aboard the ‘HMAS Berrima’ for England. He was admitted to Military Hospital, Hampstead, New End in London 20 days later.3

On September 22nd, in Chickerell, Weymouth (England) Clifford was awarded with 4 days confined to barracks (CB) after he overstayed his leave from ‘Tattoo Hill’ until 11:30pm. For a few months, Clifford kept quiet. Until the 19th of January 1916. On this day, Clifford was discharged from battle because he had contracted a severe infection, and though he was ordered to go home, his leave was recorded as ‘on duty’ so we can assume he was still paid while he was away. He embarked from Portland, England for Australia on the ‘HMAT Star of Victoria A16’. For over a year, Clifford stayed in Australia, recovering. We do not know if he returned home to May during this time or whether he was admitted to any hospitals. But on the 10th of February 1917, Clifford was finally healed enough to return to the front and embarked on the ‘HMAT Seang Bee A48’ en route to Devonport, England.10

He landed on the 2nd of May 1917 and was sent to the ex. Army Medical Corps (AMC) Training Camp, Southampton, No. 2, Camp Parkhouse for training. Clifford kept a mostly quiet profile at training camp, until he was absent without leave (AWL) from midnight on 25th of May to 10:05pm on the 28th. He was awarded 6 days of field punishment and was stripped of 9 days’ pay by Major M.B. Johnson. On the 24th of June, the Officer Commanding (OC) of Camp Parkhouse decided that Clifford was trained and healthy enough to return to the front line, and he proceeded to France.1

On the 27th of June 1917, Clifford marched in to the Australian General Base Depot in Rouelles, France. Clifford then travelled with this unit until they reached Le Havre, Normandy, in France on the 10th of August 1917, and he was then taken on strength (TOS) to the reinforcements needed in the 3rd Field Ambulance in Belgium. On the 2nd of November, Clifford was caught in a gas attack and was wounded in action due to an exposure to mustard gas. He was sent 253km west, to Wimereux in France, and was admitted to 2nd Camp Glen Hospital for gas and shell wounds and severe shock on the 3rd of November. Two days later, doctors decided that Clifford needed to be sent to England for further treatment, so he embarked France, and was admitted to Eastbourne Military Hospital in England for gas and shell wounds.9

On the 4th of December 1917, May was advised of Clifford’s condition and he was classed as ‘furlough’ (meaning he was on leave from battle for the recovery of his injuries). On the 23rd, he marched in to Sutton Veny, a small village and civil parish in England that was used to house prisoners of war and military hospitals. Clifford re-contracted an infection, so he spent some time recovering in Sutton Veny.12 However, his situation worsened. On the 23rd of April 1918, Clifford marched out of Sutton Veny to Weymouth in preparation to go to Torrens Island Detention Centre. Three days after arriving at Weymouth, Clifford was found out in the city at 10pm without a pass from his Commanding Officer (CO), though he was let off with a firm scolding from Major C.C.Campbell.4

On the 6th of June 1918, Clifford was returned to Australia per ‘D 11’ for nursing staff but was immediately sent to Torrens Island Detention Camp. And thus ended Clifford’s war adventures. His total service accounted for 4 years and 47 days though, as his leave in 1916 was still considered ‘on duty’, his total overseas service was 2 years and 206 days.2

AFTER THE WAR

Following his return from the war front, Clifford spent some time (we do not know how long) at the Torrens Island Venereal Detention Camp where he was treated for venereal disease, this time syphilis, with mercurial injections. What is interesting is that May was not notified by either the army or Clifford himself that he was in such a position. So, on the 13th of April 1924, May Leslie Conly sent a letter to Mr Mackintosh, who we can assume was an army official, asking for Clifford’s British War and Victory medals as he had been missing from home for several years, and she presumed him dead. She was living at 2 Oval Terrace, Kensington Park at the time. 13 days later, her request was denied as Clifford had not given written permission for his medals to be distributed. 1

Years went by and neither Clifford nor May heard anything from or about one another. May had been left with three children, all quite young when she had requested Clifford’s medals in 1924. Then, in 1931, Clifford wrote to the Officer Commanding Base Records, asking for a certificate of service as he had lost his discharge form and had not received his British and Victory War Medals as he was recovering from his first infection when he was due to receive them. This prompted the realisation that Clifford had indeed returned safely from his treatment but did not return to May. Rather, he was living with another woman at 18 Henry Street, Merewhether, NSW. 1

May filed for a divorce, but as desertion was not a legal grounds for divorce in South Australia at the time, the barrister/solicitor (Gordon A. Pavy, 44 Grenfell Street, Adelaide) in charge of the case needed Clifford’s medical records as proof that Clifford had contracted the venereal disease through having sexual intercourse with a woman who was not his wife as he was on the front at the time. However, Gordon was denied his request because any medical records regarding ex-AIF members were confidential.

Therefore, Clifford and May went their separate ways, with May taking full custody of their three children, but were never properly divorced. This is proved as, on the 10th of January 1940, Clifford filled out a form to ask again for his discharge form and stated that he and his wife were ‘living apart’ but he was unable to remember her address.1

On the 23rd of February 1940, Clifford’s letter was answered, and he was sent his British and Victory War Medals on the 6th of March that same year. 7

Clifford eventually passed away on the 19th of April 1958 and was buried at Newcastle Memorial Park Cemetery & Crematorium in New South Wales. His name is listed on a memorial on North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia at the Adelaide Train Station Concourse, North end.4

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.      Clifford Paul Conly 2018, Australian National Archives, accessed 1 March 2018, <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/ItemsListing.aspx>.

2.      RSL Virtual War Memorial 2018, accessed 1 March 2018, <https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/>.

3.      Memorial Glossary 2018, Australian War Memorial, accessed 20 March 2018, <https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/glossary>.

4.      The AIF Project 2018, UNSW Australia, accessed 15 March 2018, <https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/search>.

5.      Collection 2018, Australian War Memorial, accessed 1 March 2018, <https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search>.

6.      Unit War Diaries 2018, Australian War Memorial, accessed 20 March 2018, <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583>.

7.      Trove 2018, National Library of Australia, accessed 13 March 2018, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/?q&adv=y>.

8.      Advanced Key Word Search 2018, State Library of South Australia, accessed 1 March 2018, <http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au/search/X>.

9.      Clifford Conly 2018, National Archives of Australia, accessed 12 March 2018, <https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/124848>.

10.  3rd Field Ambulance 2018, RSL Virtual War Memorial, accessed 7 March 2018, <https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/units/294>.

11.  Sutton Veny - 1st World War 2018, accessed 16 March 2018, <https://suttonveny.co.uk/1st-world-war/>.