The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (236) Trooper Clement Cyril George Whittle, 5th & 6th Imperial Contingents, South Australia, Boer War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (236) Trooper Clement Cyril George Whittle, 5th & 6th Imperial Contingents, South Australia, Boer War.

236 Trooper Clement Cyril George Whittle, 5th & 6th Imperial Contingents, South Australia
DOD 10 August 1901
Photograph supplied by family

Story delivered 4 August 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Trooper Clement Cyril George Whittle.

Clement Whittle was born on 27 August 1882 to James and Amelia Whittle of Bowden in Adelaide. His father had been born at sea on board the Trafalgar while his family migrated to South Australia from Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England, and his mother was an English migrant from Essex. Clement was the second of their eight children.

In January 1901 Whittle volunteered for service in the Boer War. At 18, he was tall for his age and well built. He was accepted for service with the 5th South Australian Imperial Bushmen Contingent, and was posted to C Squadron. The contingent would later join with the 6th South Australian Imperial Contingent in South Africa.

The 5th South Australian Imperial Bushmen left for South Africa on 9 February 1901 on board the Ormazon. It arrived at Port Elizabeth in March, and the men disembarked with the horses that had accompanied them on the sea voyage.

Whittle’s contingent had arrived in South Africa at a time when the war had deteriorated into a mainly guerrilla conflict between British mounted troops and Boer irregulars. As his squadron patrolled the country around Kroonstad it encountered small numbers of the enemy, and often fired artillery shells at them. On some occasions the men engaged small parties of Boers in skirmishes. At other times they engaged forces of Boers up to 500-strong.

Trooper Whittle was known to be a thorough soldier, and was often to be found at the forefront of the fight. He was popular, and considered a great favourite with his squadron. However, in August 1901 Trooper Whittle, like so many of his comrades at the time, fell ill with enteric fever. Unfortunately, he did not develop symptoms until out on patrol, and had to be treated in the unit’s rough field hospital. Although it was hoped that he would recover enough to return to Kroonstad, he weakened and died on 10 August 1901 after a short illness.

Lieutenant Priestly wrote to Whittle’s brother in Adelaide:
I feel his death very keenly, as being one closely associated with me, and one whom I thought a lot of. There is no doubt that had he lived he would have earned distinction and promotion for his work here.

Clement Whittle was buried on the banks of the Modder River under a willow tree at Truter’s Drift, near where he died. He was less than three weeks short of his 19th birthday.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among 605 Australians who lost their lives in the Boer War. His photograph is displayed today beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Trooper Clement Cyril George Whittle, and all those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.

Dr Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section

Sources:
www.ancestry.com.

National Archives of Australia, service record, Clement Cyril
George Whittle.

Diary of Trooper Frederick Edwards:
http://www.bwm.org.au/site/Frederick_EdwardsNDD.asp.

“The late Trooper Whittle”, Adelaide Chronicle, 5 October 1901, p. 11.

“Death of Trooper C.C.G. Whittle”, Adelaide Register, 28 September 1901, p. 7.