ANZAC Search

Reginald Heber Baker Clarence - Information

Reginald was born in Durban, Natal in South Africa. When he was older, he left his family and migrated to Australia. Settling down in Camden, he found good work as an earthwork contractor. In his forties, he then decided to serve the mother country shortly after war was declared, enlisting in the AIF on the 17th of August 1914 in Sydney. He had plenty of military experience serving in the Boer War as part of the Johannesburg Mounted Rifles. He was sent overseas as a Private with the 2nd Battalion on the 18th of October 1914 sailing onboard the HMAT Suffolk. Landing in Egypt, Reginald commenced further exercises. However, training in the desert heat proved too much, and he was sent back to Australia in early March 1915 for a medical discharge.

On the 4th of December 1917, he re-enlisted in Sydney, assigned as a Sapper to the Field Company Engineer Reinforcements. He then set off from Sydney onboard the HMAT Persic on the 21st of March 1918. Reginald landed in London in late May, and was marched out to No. 3 Camp at Parkhouse. However, once again he was having difficulty, keeping up with the other troops. Consequently, he was sent back to Australia for debility on the 20th of October. When the vessel reached Cape Town in South Africa, he asked to be discharged. It was granted in early December, and he returned home to his family in Natal.