Tear gas goggles : Private F M Clarke, 11 Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps

Place Europe: France
Accession Number REL27561
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Personal Equipment
Physical description Celluloid, Cotton drill, Felt
Maker Unknown
Place made United Kingdom
Date made c 1915-1916
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Description

Pair of khaki cotton fabric tear gas goggles which feature a pair rectangular celluloid eye-pieces sewn into the cotton. A small '8' in a horizontal position is printed in black ink on the lower right front of the goggles. A pair of olive green cotton drill tape ties are attached to the goggles for securing to the wearers head. The inside surface of the goggles are lined in a white felt.

History / Summary

This pair of tear gas goggles are associated with the service of 664 Private Frederick Montague Clarke, 11 Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps. Clarke was born in Hobart Tasmania but was living at Wollongong, NSW, and was working as a storeman when he enlisted in the AIF at Victoria Barracks in Sydney on 9 October 1914.

Clarke embarked for overseas service from Sydney with the 2nd Australian General Hospital aboard HMAT Kyarra on 28 November 1914. Clarke was detailed for duty aboard HMAT Thermistocles on 13 August 1915. This duty saw him temporarily return to Australia when the ship repatriated wounded Australian troops from the Gallipoli campaign. Clarke was still serving aboard the ship when it returned overseas with AIF reinforcements for the Western Front. Clarke disembarked at Marseilles, France, on 4 April 1916.

Clarke was transferred to the 11th Australian Field Ambulance on 15 April 1917. While detached to the 3rd Australian Division Headquarters on 19 October 1917 he was seriously wounded in battle by a bomb wound to his thigh and leg and he was evacuated to the United Kingdom. Private Clarke returned to Australia on 5 April 1918. He died in 1970 in Sydney, NSW.