Charles James Edward Clemens (1894 - 1976)

Born 28 May 1894 in Pahiatua, Manawatu, New Zealand

Ancestors

Husband of Esther (Lees) Clemens — married 27 Jun 1916 in Lancashire, England

Died 1976 at about age 81 in New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Faye Whitfield [send private message]

James Phillip Clemens is an Anzac who served in World War One.

Anzacs on Wikitree

Biography

James Phillip Clemens was Wounded in Action during World War I.

Charles is the son of James Clemens and Ethel Wall. ^[1]. Charles is recorded as Charles James Edward Clemens, born in 1892 on his WWI record but his birth wasn't registered until 1894 on the NZBDM database and was recorded as 'James Phillip Clemens'.

He attended Petone School in Wellington. Start date 25 September 1899 and finishing 11 November 1903.

Charles was also known as 'Charlie' and he worked for Mr Lawson of Tuamarina as a motor car driver.

Charlie enlisted WWI -August 15, 1914 with the Canterbury Infantry - reg no 6/208 - rank Private. Last known address 24 York Street, Picton. Next of kin listed as James Isles Clemens, father, Picton. He was 22 at the time of enlistment and living in Blenheim. He embarked from Lyttleton on the ship Tahiti or Athenic to Suez, Eygpt on October 16 1914.

In 1915, he was wounded in action in the Dardanelles and reported missing around June 1915. He was later admitted to a hospital ship and then to a hospital in Alexandria. From there he was taken to England and hospitalised at Manchester Hospital, then Walton on Thames and lastly Hornchurch. His term of service was 2 1/2years. Overseas service was spent in Eygpt 1914-1915 and Gallipoli 1915.

Charles received the 1914-15 star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He was discharged on 25 December 1916, being no longer fit for duty, due to wounds received whilst in action.

Charlie married Esther Lees at Lancaster on 27 June 1916 and took 2 days leave.

• Charles J E Clemens

Registration Date: Apr-May-June 1916

Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun

Registration district: Chorlton

Inferred County: Lancashire

Spouse: Eather Lees

Esther was the daughter of John George Lees and Esther Thompson.

He left London on the ship Arawa, July 13 1916 to return to New Zealand destination Auckland. In September a medical board convened on the Arawa recommended Charlie to be admitted for 7 days at Wellington Hospital. Esther left England and sailed on the Remuera to New Zealand the following month. The couple settled in Auckland where Charlie was working as an electrician for the Auckland Harbour Board.

By 1921, Charlie and Esther had moved to Australia and settled in Kirribilli, Sydney, living at no 66 Carrabelle St, giving the NZ Defence Department this address to send his medals to. In 1930, he appears on the NSW electoral rolls as Charles James Clemens, living in the Lakemba area with Esther and working as an electrician. After 1933, his name is recorded as that of James Phillip Clemens used at his 1894 NZ Birth registration.

In 1958, Charlie and Esther returned to Australia on the ship 'Himalaya' after a trip to England. No trace was found of James/Charlie or Esther after 1960 when they sailed to England in the ship Castel Felice. Their trips to England gave their intended address as 18 Southlea Road, Manchester, the area where Esther's family lived. Notably Esther's brother and his wife Elizabeth had emigrated to Australia in 1931 living in the Parramatta area, outer Sydney suburbs. They also made frequent trips back to England.

Charlie died in 1976 in NSW and was recorded as James Phillip Clemens. 1 No more info is currently available for Charles Clemens. Can you add to his biography?

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Faye Whitfield, Feb 27, 2012

• "New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24K-RKLD : 27 November 2017), James Philip Clemens, 1894; citing Birth, New Zealand, registration number 1894/8932, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington.

• "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26XC-K3F : 13 December 2014), Charles J E Clemens and null, 1916; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1916, quarter 2, vol. 8C, p. 1470, Chorlton, Lancashire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

• https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/result?3 CLEMENS JAMES PHILLIP 100041/1976 JAMES ISLES 1

• http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C40560?n=charlie%20clemens&ordinal=0&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch Service record

• http://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE13760460 Military file

• https://ancestry.com.au

England marriage index- vol 8c, pg 1470

NZ electoral rolls

Australia electoral rolls 1930-1933

UK Incoming Passenger Lists - Himalaya, Castel Felice, Orcades, Remuera, Arawa

• https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz : NZBDM Index Birth 1894/8932
• S Buckley - Death date
• Faye Whitfield Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Faye and others.

Footnotes

Residence in Australia

Sourced from Military file

1921 66 Carrabelle Street, Kirribilli, NSW

Sourced from Australia Electoral Rolls

1930-1934 Chalmers Street, Lakemba, NSW

1936-1937 208 Hastings Parade, Bondi, NSW

1949 21 Gloucester Road, Hurstville, NSW

1957-1958 17 Lux Ave, Bondi Beach, NSW