Clive Edward Gallagher

Description

Clive was born in February 1914 at Hughenden, Queensland. He was the son of Marcus Gallagher and Margaret Heffernan and twin to brother Harry.

His main school education was conducted at Convent School, Mackay, where in December 1932 he successfully completed and passed Standard IV.

In December 1932 he was also appointed to the Department of Labor and was transferred to the town of Ayr from where he was residing with his parents in Mackay. He transferred from Mackay to Toowoomba in mid/late 1933, initially living at 140 Perth street. During this time and the next few years he continued to play rugby union for Catholic Club, Mackay. From 1936 to enlistment in the army, he was living in Toowoomba in Hume Street.

Clive enlisted in the Australian Army 23 June 1940, serving until September 1945 and attaining rank of Sergeant.

His initial unit was 9 Rec. Sec., 2/3 A. FO W/S. He embarked 27 December 1940 from Sydney, arriving and disembarking in Suez 31 January 1941. On 10th March 1941 while serving in Egypt, Clive was injured with a possible broken ankle at Gaza Ridge and transferred to the 1st Australian General Hospital. The next day, 11 March, he was promoted to Corporal, then 12 days later on 23 March, to Sergeant. He was discharged from hospital and rejoined his unit 25 March 1941. He embarked from the Middle East 31 January 1943, arriving in Sydney and disembarking 27 February 1943.

In June 1943 he was transferred to 2/101 Australian General Transport Company, which in January had returned from the Middle East. Clive married in July 1943 to Enid Josephine Hart. In Clive's military records, at the time of marriage Enid's address appears as Court House Hotel, Margaret Street, Toowoomba. Within a week of marrying Enid, on 13 July 1943 Clive was dispatched to Port Moresby in New Guinea with the 2/101 AGT Co.. On 22 February 1944 Clive was concussed and admitted to 2/5 Australian General Hospital. He was discharged to NGDD March 1944, then shipped back to Australia, disembarking at Townsville 30 May 1944. He then remained in Queensland for the duration of the war, a notable event being that he went AWL 17 - 19 August 1945. He was finally discharged in September 1945.

The Gallagher family book indicates that Clive and Enid divorced in 1945/46, and this may have been related to the time he was discharged from the Army and may also be related to his AWL incident.

By 1949 he was living at 24 Arran Ave, Hamilton, his previous recorded address in 1943 electoral records being 163 Hume street, Toowoomba.

He was Deputy Bailiff to the Magistrate's Court in Brisbane in 1952. He took a beating on attempt to recover assets from a fumigator under a court order and took the offender to court for assault. In May 1952 he was reported in the Court proceedings as living at Edmonstone Street, South Brisbane.

It appeared that Clive may have passed away somewhere between 1952 and about 1954 (absence of registration in electoral roll records after 1949, and does not appear in them for 1954).

The Gallagher family book indicates that Clive disappeared from family contact for many, many years and his whereabouts / fate remained unknown.

He is now (09/04/2020) confirmed buried at Moulamein Cemetery, Wanganella Moulamein Rd, Moulamein, New South Wales, Australia. This is certain as a result of a match to his military identification number being posted on his grave.

Personal correspondence with the Murray River Council received 12 April 2021 confirmed : “ Clive passed away on the 19th of November 1991 & was then Interred on the 26th of November. He was Interment number 336 and was buried in the location highlighted in Green on the map below, which is the Catholic section of the cemetery.”

There do not appear to be any other records of Gallaghers buried at Moulamein, and therefore is assumed that Clive did not remarry.