Ambrose, Clarence

AMBROSE, Clarence – – – –

SPC 1913-1914

DoB:- – – – – – c1898, NSW

Father:– – – William Ambrose (whereabouts unknown at time of Clarence’s enlistment)

Mother:– – – Nellie Ferrier, nee Meldrum

Clarence attended St Patrick’s for two years as a boarder from 10 Simpson Street, East Melbourne.

Service No:- – – 1615

Rank:- – – – – – Private

Unit:- – – – – – 60th Battalion, later Australian Corps Working Party

Clarence Ambrose was a salesman, who enlisted on 20 January 1916,- at the age of 18. He was five feet, seven and three quarter inches tall, of fair complexion with blue eyes and fair hair.

Private Ambrose embarked on 4 May 1916 at Melbourne, continuing- through Suez and Tel-el-Kebir in Egypt for further training, before- proceeding to Etaples, France in October 1916.-

He was taken ill with influenza and hospitalised in February 1917, and it might have been while he was in hospital that he was discovered to be underage. From this point, Private Ambrose was classified as -‘Underage Personnel’. When he marched out from hospital in – March 1917, he was transferred to the 5th Australian Divisional Base Depot in Rouen, France.

From late 1917 through to May 1918 he was in and out of hospital in Havre, France with influenza. He was also treated for venereal disease. By the middle of August 1918 he was attached to the Australian Corps Working Party in France.

In December 1918 Private Ambrose was readying for his return to Australia at Southampton, England. On 2 January 1919, almost three years since enlisting, he embarked on the Berrima for Australia. He was discharged from service on 27 March 1919.

Clarence Ambrose died on 30 October 1966, at the age of 67. He was living at the time at Flat 4, 7 Robertson Avenue, St Kilda, VIC. His death certificate states that he had been married twice. The details of his first marriage are unknown, but his second marriage was to Bertha May Anderson in 1945 in NSW. He had no children. He was cremated at the Springvale Crematorium, Victoria.