Raymond Victor Clough
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 12 Jul 1910 |
| Place of Birth | Jarrahdale, Western Australia |
| Death | 6 Jan 1962 |
| Place of Death | Perth, Western Australia |
| Age at Enlistment | 29 years, 8 months |
| Description | 5'10½" (1.79m) tall ; ; dark complexion ; grey eyes ; brown hair |
| Occupation | Timber worker |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | William street, Armadale, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Wife , Mrs. Evelyn Dora Clough |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | WX20035 |
| Date of Enlistment | 8 Sep 1941 |
| Rank | Lance Corporal |
| Unit/Formation | 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion |
| Military Movement | |
| 1st Departure from Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 6 Sep 1942 ‒ 8 Oct 1942 |
| Transport Details | HMT P4 Fremantle to Egypt |
| Return to Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 24 Jan 1943 ‒ 18 Feb 1943 |
| Transport Details | HMT Queen Mary Port Tewfik to Fremantle |
| 2nd Departure from Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 7 Aug 1943 ‒ 10 Aug 1943 |
| Transport Details | USAT Charles P. Steinmetz Cairns to Milne Bay, New Guinea |
| Return to Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 31 Jan 1944 ‒ 7 Feb 1944 |
| Transport Details | USAT Andrew D. White Finschaffen, New Guinea to Townsville |
| 3rd Departure from Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 23 Apr 1945 ‒ 1 May 1945 |
| Transport Details | USS General J.H. McRae (AP - 149) Townsville to Morotai, NEI |
| Transfers | |
| Journey Dates | 1 Jun 1945 |
| Transport Details | HMAS Westralia Morotai to Labuan, North Borneo |
| Return to Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 23 Nov 1945 ‒ 3 Dec 1945 |
| Transport Details | HMS Glengyle Laban, North Borneo to Brisbane |
| Post War Details | |
| Fate | Returned to Australia 3 times |
| Medals |
1939-45 Star Africa Star Pacific Star War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45 |
Pre War
Electoral Roll entries: 1936 - 1941 Albany road Bedfordale, timber worker
War Service
Raymond enlisted for full time service in the 2nd AIF on 9 Sep 1941 at Claremont. On 7 Oct 1941 he was transferred to the 3rd Training Battalion at Northam, but his training was interrupted when he was admitted on 31 Oct 1941 to the 118th Australian General Hospital with Rubella. Raymond was discharged from hospital on 7 Nov 1941, returning to the 3rd Training Battalion before on 28 Nov 191 when he was transferred to the 4th Training Battalion. On 13 Jan 1942 Raymond was charged with having been AWOL from midnight 4 Jan 1942 until 10:00pm on 6 Jan 1942. He was fined 10/- ($1), and forfeited two day's pay.
On 10 Jan 1942 he had been transferred to the 2/28th Infantry Battalion reinforcements, but six days later he was transferred to the 'Rottnest Detail' where on 11 Mar 1942 he was admitted to the Rottnest Camp Hospital, returning to duty on 30 Mar 1942. On 13 Jun 1942 Raymond was charged with having been AWOL from 11:00am on 7 June until 11:00am on 9 June 1942 earning him a fine of £1 ($2) and the forfeiture of 2 day's pay. He was again AWOL from 11:00am on 3 July until 11:00am on 7 Jul 1942, resulting in a fine of £2 ($4), and the loss of 4 day's pay. Granted payed leave from 17 until 23 Jul 1942, he was transferred on 17 Jul 1942 to the 2/32nd Battalion reinforcements.
Raymond embarked aboard HMT P4 (either SS Devonshire or SS Aronda) in Fremantle on 6 Sep 1942, destination the Middle East and when he disembarked in Egypt on 8 Oct 1942 he was sent to the 24th Australian Infantry Training Battalion until 5 Nov 1942 when he was taken on strength by the 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion which was in the Sidi Rahman area of Egypt having just been withdrawn from the line after the battle of El Alamein. Detailed to clean up the battle field, the battalion then returned to Khassa in Palestine before returning to Australia along with the rest of the 9th Division. On 17 Jan 1943 the battalion began the move to Port Tewfik, where they arrived on 20 January. The battalion boarded HMT Queen Mary on 24 Jan 1943, and the following day the ship departed for Massawa in Eritrea where it waited for other ships in the convoy before sailing for Fremantle where Raymond and the other Western Australians disembarked on 18 Feb 1943.
Following leave the Western Australians reassembled at Melville Camp before being taken by train to North Queensland where the Battalion assembled at Kairi on the Atherton Tablelands where on 1 Jul 1943 Raymond was awarded Proficiency Pay. Following a series of beach landing practices, the battalion sailed from Cairns in convoy aboard USAT Charles P. Steinmetz on 8 Aug 1943 having boarded the previous day. They disembarked at Milne Bay in the late afternoon on 10 Aug 1943. Following a further period of training the battalion moved to Buna, and later up the coast leading to Lae. In October the battalion was at Finschaffen before moving to Scarlet Beach, and then into the hinterland. On 4 Jan 1944 Raymond was appointed as a Lance Corporal, and the battalion remained active inland until 31 January 1944 when they embarked in Finschaffen for Townsville aboard USAT Andrew D. White travelling via Lae, Buna and Milne Bay, before arriving and disembarking on 7 Feb 1944. They travelled by train to the Julago camp south of Townsville from where they prepared for leave in their home states. Seemingly Raymond was reluctant to return as he was charged and found guilty of being AWOL from 8:00am on 17 March until 8:00am on 20 Mar 1944. He was Severely Reprimanded and automatically forfeited three day's pay. He was again AWOL from 10:00am on 4 Apr 1944 until 10:00am on 8 Apr 1944, and this time he was demoted to Private and forfeited four day's pay.
On 29 May 1944 he was admitted to the 2/1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station with malaria, before being transferred to the 2/2nd Australian General Hospital on 30 May 1944. Health improving he was discharged to the 2/1st Australian Convalescent Depot on 7 Jun 1944, and they in turn released him to the 2nd Australian Corps Recreation Camp on 27 June, and the following day he was again with his battalion. On 31 Jul 1944 Raymond transferred to the 2/1st Australian Headquarters Guard Regiment, where on 6 Oct 1944 he was again appointed Lance Corporal, and on 18 Oct 1944 he was posted to the 2nd Platoon 'A' Company. The same day he had his NOK changed to his mother. On 23 Apr 1945 Raymond boarded the USS General J.H. McRae (AP - 149) in Townsville and they sailed for Morotai where they disembarked on 1 May 1945. A month later on June 1st he boarded HMAS Westralia for Labuan in North Borneo. On 23 Nov 1945 with his part of the war over, he boarded HMS Glengyle at Labuan for Brisbane where he disembarked on 3 Dec 1945 before proceeding by train to Perth where he arrived on 18 Dec 1945 and was discharged from the Western Command Recruit Reception & General Details Depot's Discharge Section on 21 Dec 1945.
Post War
Electoral Roll entries: 1949 William street, Armadale timber worker; 1948 at 19 Moir street, North Perth, plywood worker. Doesn't appear to have married.
Notes
From Raymond's documents he changed his NOK from his wife Evelyn to his Mother Margaret on 3 Apr 1945.