A century on from the end of World War I we acknowledge their service …
Lest we forget.
Warrant Officer David Edward Clancy
Born: 12 November 1893 Pakenham. Died: 2 May 1969 Melbourne.
Enlisted: 6 November 1915 aged 21.
Served: Western Front
Like his father and brother, David also became a farmer, but was working as a clerk when he enlisted in November 1915.
Sent to the Western Front, he was quickly promoted to Sergeant. David received a severe wound to the hand in Belgium in October 1917 when his camp was bombed by enemy aircraft, killing five soldiers.
David’s name appeared in the same casualty list that confirmed that his brother Jack had been killed in action, which must have distressed his parents greatly.
After hospital, David served out the rest of the war in England.
In 1919 he was temporarily promoted to Warrant Officer.
He returned to Australia in early 1920, resumed farming and for a time operated (with Ethel Fennell) the general store at Old Pakenham, which later became Mrs Bumpstead’s store.
Later, David was an insurance agent and was a well-known local cricketer and footballer.
It was a great era for the Pakenham football team, which won four consecutive flags from 1924 to 1927, with David captaining in 1926.
He married Pauline Meyrst in 1927 and they raised a family.
This is an extract from Patrick Ferry’s book A Century After The Guns Fell Silent – Remembering the Pakenham District’s WWI Diggers 1914-18.
For more details on this and other profiles in the book, head to the website www.pakenhamww1.com
