Edward Henry Fiennes-Clinton
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Edward Henry Fiennes-Clinton was born on 4th April 1886 at Bootle, Lancashire, he was baptised on 16th June 1886 at St Mary's Church, Bootle and was the son of Charles Edward and Alice Gertrude Fiennes-Clinton née Waring In the 1911 census Edward has left the family home and is shown as a boarder aged 24 yrs , he is living with a number of seamen apprentices at 154 The Chaplaincy, Hate Street, East India Dock Road, Poplar, London. He emigrated and settled in Australia in 1912 where he met and married his wife Edith Annie Guest, they married on 16th August 1912 at Port Adelaide and lived at Hawkstone Road Carlisle, Perth, Western Australia, they went on to have 2 sons Edward Horace born 1913 at Melbourne and Gilbert Henry born 1914. .
Private Edward Henry Fiennes-Clinton enlisted at Perth, Australia on 20th August 1915, he was 29 years and 3 months old, his medical examination noted he had a tattoo of a dragon on his right forearm. He embarked from Freematle on 2nd November 1915 in HMAT A38 Ulysses and landed in Zeiteun, Egypt on 31st March 1916 and joined his battalion 51th battalion at Tel el Kebir, Egypt the same day. He embarked from Alexandria on 5th June 1916 and landed at Marseilles, France on 12th June 1916. He died on 17th August 1916,at the South Midland Casualty Clearing Station, France of wounds accidentally recieved in France from 3475 Pte Wilfred Crossley Bowler who by his "careless handling of a loaded revolver" fired a shot which hit Charles in the hip/abdomen. Charles died the same day and is buried in Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. A court of enquiry was set up at Bonneville on 20th August 1916 its President was Captain R. Christie, into the death of Private Fiennes-Clinton and it was found that the death was an accident due to the careless handling of a loaded revolver by Private 3475 Bowler.
Article published on 8th November 1916 in the Newark Advertiser :- Son of Charles Edward & Alice Gertrude Fiennes-Clinton. Husband of E.A. Fiennes-Clinton, Hawkstone Road, Carlisle, Perth, W. Australia Native of Bootle. Grandson of the late Rev. Henry Fiennes-Clinton, Rector of Cromwell for nearly forty years. Had married and settled in Victoria Park East, Western Australia with his wife and two little sons. Enlisted at Perth on 13th August 1915, age 29 years & 3 months. Occupation: Labourer. Embarked on H.M.A.T. Ulysses at Freemantle on 2nd Nov. 1915 for Middle-East. Transferred from 28th to 51st Battalion on 3rd March 1916. Sailed from Alexandria (for Marseille) on 5th June. Died of abdominal & hip wound at 1st/2nd South Midland C.C.S. Court of enquiry found that wound was caused by the careless handling of a loaded revolver by a Pte. Bowyer.
