Clarence Malarkey
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 7 Jul 1906 |
| Place of Birth | Pingelly, Western Australia |
| Death | 4 Sep 1984 |
| Age at Enlistment | 23 years, 9 months |
| Description | ; blue eyes ; dark hair |
| Occupation | Farm hand |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | PO Byford, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Father , Mr Henry Malarkey |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | WX2165 |
| Date of Enlistment | 24 Apr 1940 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit/Formation | 2/16th Australian Infantry Battalion |
| Military Movement | |
| 1st Departure from Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 25 Oct 1940 ‒ 4 Nov 1940 |
| Transport Details | HMT Aquitania Convoy US11A Fremantle to Bombay |
| Transfers | |
| Journey Dates | 18 Nov 1940 ‒ 25 Nov 1940 |
| Transport Details | SS Lancashire Bombay to Port Tewfik |
| Return to Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 30 Jan 1942 ‒ 6 Feb 1942 |
| Transport Details | SS Île de France Convoy JS3 Port Tewfik to Bombay |
| Journey Dates | 9 Feb 1942 ‒ 18 Mar 1942 |
| Transport Details | SS Kosciusko Convoy SU 1 Bombay to Adelaide |
| 2nd Departure from Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 6 Aug 1942 ‒ 13 Aug 1942 |
| Transport Details | SS James Fenimore Cooper Brisbane to Port Moresby |
| Return to Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 12 Jan 1943 ‒ 15 Jan 1942 |
| Transport Details | SS Cleveland Abbe Port Moresby to Cairns |
| Post War Details | |
| Fate |
Returned to Australia Medical Discharge |
| Medals |
1939-45 Star Africa Star Pacific Star Defence Medal War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45 |
Pre War
War Service
Enlisted on 20 Apr 1940 after having health issues attended to and was sent to the Northam camp for training. He was granted pre-embarkation leave from 9 - 22 Jun 1940 and on 9 Sep 1940 he was drafted to the 4th reinforcements for the 2/11th Battalion. A week later he was transferred to the 2/16th Battalion at Northam, and was granted a second Pre-embarkation leave from 26 Sep to 3 Oct 1940.
On 25 Oct 1940 he embarked on the HMT Aquitania for the Middle East, disembarking in Bombay, India on 4 Nov 1940. Transported to camps, they remained ashore for up to 5 days before boarding much smaller ships for Kantara in Egypt. The records for all members of the 2/16 Battalion only record embarkation and disembarkation, no names of ships are provided, nor mention of their transfer in Bombay. On 25 Nov 1940 they arrived at El Kantara on one of the following four steamers: Christian Huygens, Lancashire, Dilwarra and Rhona.[1]
On 14 Jun 1941 Clarence was admitted to 2/1st Australian General Hospital with Anxiety Neurosis and on 29 Jun 1941 he was transferred to the 21st Australian Training Battalion, returning to 2/16th Battalion on 14 Jul 1941. On 6 Dec 1941 he was detached to the 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion until 10 Jan 1942 when he returned to his battalion. On 30 Jan 1942 he embarked on SS Île de France a part of Convoy JS3, for Bombay where they disembarked on 6 Feb 1942 and were sent to camps to await their embarkation on smaller, slower ships in the convoy that would carry them to Singapore. Clarence was allocated to the SS Madras City.
The convoy set out for Singapore on 9 Feb 1942, and refuelled at Colombo. when Singapore surrendered on 15 Feb 1942 the slow moving convoy was approaching the Sunda Straits, and given that the Japanese had already landed on many of the Dutch East Indian islands (Indonesia), the convoy's destination was changed on the orders of Churchill to Rangoon, Burma to assist with its defence. Curtin, however, was determined to bring every possible soldier home to defend Australia and demanded that the convoy, now redesignated as Convoy SU1, turn around and sail for Australian ports. On 25 Feb 1942 the convoy again refuelled in Colombo, leaving there on 1 Mar 1942 for Fremantle which it reached on 15 Mar 1942. Around 350 of the members of the 2/16th Battalion from the SS Kosciusko failed to reboard when the convoy sailed for Port Adelaide which the SS Madras City reached on 23 Mar 1942. [2]
Given the rapid advances achieved by the Japanese Army in South east Asia and through the Pacific, the battalion was hurriedly relocated to Queensland and on 6 Aug 1942 they boarded SS James Fenimore Cooper for Port Moresby, arriving there on 13 Aug 1942. On arrival in Papua New Guinea they were sent to the Kokoda track to reinforce two Militia Battalions which were at that time being forced back towards Port Moresby. On 11 Oct 1942 Clarence was evacuated to the 2/2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station with Asthma, returning to the battalion on 16 Oct 1942. Eight days later he was sent to the 46th Australian Camp Hospital, again with asthma, and on 12 Nov 1942 he was sent to the 1st Australian Corps Reception Camp before returning to the battalion again on 7 Dec 1942.
On 12 Jan 1943 Clarence boarded the SS Cleveland Abbe in Port Moresby for Cairns, disembarking on 15 Jan 1943. Soon after Clarence was granted leave and then on 31 May 1943 he was transferred to the 2/2nd Infantry Troops Workshops. Admitted to the 2/6th Australian General Hospital on the Atherton Tablelands on 9 Jun 1942 he was placed on an Ambulance Train for the 116th Australian General Hospital at Townsville on 30 Jun 1943 with Bronchial Pneumonia. Clarence spent the next three months alternating between the 116th AGH and the 66th Australian Convalescent Depot before on 4 Nov 1943 at 2/12th Australian General Hospital in Warwick being reclassified 'B', fit to undertake duties with limited fitness required. On 11 Dec 1943 he was transferred to the 111th Australian General Transport Company.
From 17 Dec 1942 until 31 Jan 1944 Clarence attended a Wheeled Vehicles Course before rejoining his unit. Clarence was evacuated to 4th Australian Camp Hospital on 19 Feb 1944 with fractured left thoracic ribs and a fractured thoracic spine. The next day he was transferred to the 2/4th Australian General Hospital at Redbank. On 12 Mar 1944 he again was suffering with Bronchial Pneumonia and was eventually declared unfit for military service at the 2/4th Australian General Hospital at Redbank, Brisbane.
Clarence was to pass through the hands of a number of other medical units until on 6 Jun 1944 when he was classified 'D' due to malaria and asthma, and was sent back to WA for discharge, which occurred on 15 Jul 1944.