Claude Grenfield Attrill (1900 - 1941)

Ancestors

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Military Service 1.2 Horse Racing 1.3 Mining 2 Sources

Biography

Claude Grenfield Attrill was born on 21st July 1900 in Kooringa, a small mining village also known as Burra South about 160 kilometres north of Adelaide, South Australia (Australia). He was the son of George Attrill and Christine McDonald. ^[1]

Military Service

Claude enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, his young nation's overseas expeditionary force for the (First World) War, on 27th July 1918 (six days after his 18th birthday). He stated previous military experience was in the compulsory school cadets from the age of fourteen; occupation: labourer. His father, living in Mount Gambier, South Australia (as was Claude), was listed as next-of-kin. He was described physically as 170cm (5ft 7in) tall with brown hair and hazel eyes, medium complexion, and four old vaccination scars. Religion: Presbyterian. The Armistice was signed on 11th November 1918, before Claude had a chance to be posted overseas. Attached to the Depot Battalion, Adelaide, he was discharged on 17th Feb 1919. ^[2]

The Sport newspaper announced his enlistment in the 2AIF:

Former Burra Sportsman in A.I.F. Claude Attrill, a well-known sport who resided at the Burra for some years, has joined the A.I.F. Claude will be remembered as the owner trainer of Centre King, who won several hurdle races nine or ten years ago. Centre King was hailed as a National hope, but failed to reach that standard although he was a very useful sort. Murrawong was the last horse I can recall racing in the Burra sportsmans' colours. For the last few years Claude has been working in the mines at Broken Hill. He was also in the bookmaking business, and in his new sphere "The Sport" wishes him "good luck." ^[3]

On 22nd June 1940 in Broken Hill, Claude enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force for the Second World War. He was allocated to the 2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, ^[4] then being formed at Woodside camp, near Adelaide. Allocated to the 9th Division, the battalion embarked for the Middle East from Melbourne and arrived at Egypt at the end of January 1941. Disembarking at Port Tewfik, the port of Suez, it travelled by train to Southern Palestine to complete their training. At that time the 6th Division was conducting the highly successful western advance in Libya, capturing Bardia, Tobruk and other towns from the Italians. In March, the 24th Brigade (comprising the 2/43rd, 2/28th, and 2/32nd Battalions) deployed to Tobruk as a garrison force; as the 6th Division was re-deployed to the disastrous Greece-Crete Campaign. The situation in Libya quickly changed in April as the German Afrika Korps pushed the British from El Agheila and the remainder of the 9th Division withdrew into Tobruk. The 9th Division and the 7th Division's 18th Brigade defended the 'fortress' for the next six months; the 2/43rd participating in the usual pattern of defensive duties, manning parts of the 'Red Line', working on the 'Blue Line', and aggressively patrolling no man's land. These were to become known as the Rats of Tobruk. ^[5]

Claude was killed in action on 25th April 1941 in Tobruk and is buried in the El Alamein War Cemetery, El Alamein, Egypt. Claude Grenfield Attrill's name is located at panel 62 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra and the Alamein Memorial, El Alamein. ^[6] Following the war, Elsie was issued Claude's campaign and service medals: 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, War Medal 1939-1945 and Australia Service Medal 1939-1945.

Horse Racing

Following the war, Claude increasingly became involved in the horse racing industry around Burra.

He received some significant injuries and hospitalisation due to a horse riding accident where the horse rolled over the top of him in 1920. The horse had slipped on asphalt. ^[7]

Claude married Dorothea Trull in 1923 in South Australia. ^[8] In 1934, Claude filed for divorce on the grounds of desertion for 'five years and upwards' by Dorothea. ^[9]

He had moderate success as an owner-trainer in the early 1930s with hurdlers, Centre King, Murrawong and other horses. ^[3]

Mining

Soon after finalisation of the divorce, he moved to Broken Hill, the mining centre in western New South Wales just over the border from South Australia, and obtained work as a miner at South Mine. ^[3]

Claude married a second time, to Elsie Thomas in 1938 in Broken Hill. ^[10]

In 1939, he was called as a witness into an inquiry into a mining fatality. ^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ South Australia Birth Index #662/285 1900; registered at Burra
2. ↑ AIF attestation papers: 15756 Private Claude Grenfield Attrill; accessed 17 Apr 2022
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Topics of the Turf . . . . (1940, Aug 2). Sport (Adelaide, SA : 1911 - 1948), p. 5 (FINAL EDITION). Retrieved Feb 23, 2022
4. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: SX6329 Lance Corporal Claude Grenfield Attrill; accessed 17 Apr 2022
5. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 2/43rd Australian Infantrry Battalion; accessed 17 Apr 2022
6. ↑ Australian War Memorial roll of honour: SX6329 Lance Corporal Claude Grenfield Attrill; accessed 17 Apr 2022
7. ↑ [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65022235 HORSE RIDING ACCIDENT. (1920, Feb 6). The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), p. 9. Retrieved Feb 23, 2022
8. ↑ South Australia Marriage Index #296/602 1923
9. ↑ Advertising (1934, Aug 27). News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved Feb 23, 2022
10. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #12400/1938
11. ↑ MINER TELLS OF BROKEN TIMBER (1939, Aug 4). News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved Feb 23, 2022

• Claude Grenfield Attrill (Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au : accessed 3 Apr 2024)