CLEMENT, Sydney Reynold

Sydney Clement was born on the 4 March 1873 at Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. He was the second son of Reynold Clement of Snarestone Lodge in Snarestone, Leicestershire.

The Clement family has an extraordinary history, Sydney's grandfather, Hampden Clement was the owner of several large sugar plantations in Barbados. According to the slave register of 1823,  he was the owner of 652 black and mulatto slaves. A brief history of the family is included in the file below.

Sydney was privately educated and was  tutored by the Rev. John Robson. He was still a pupil of Rev. Robson in 1881 when he was 18. He does not appear to have attended University.

He joined the East Lancashire Regiment and saw service in the South African War. He was awarded the Queen's South African campaign medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State, and Johannesburg. Sydney had the distinction of serving in the same unit with a young Winston Churchill, whom Sydney thought was very bumptious and during one particular irritating exchange Sydney took a soda syphon and squirted it down Winston's neck. Sydney was wounded in action and returned to the UK in 1901.

On the death of his father in 1905, he took over his father's position as the Clerk of Course at Royal Ascot Race Course and was enjoying a very comfortable lifestyle living at Royal Ascot in a house provided by the Course.

 In 1911, at the age of 38. he was listed in the British census as a retired HM Army Captain. He married  Gladys aged 27  in 1905 whom he met at an Ascot Ball and had two children, Eric born in 1908 and David born 1910. 

With the death of King Edward Vlll in 1910 and the coronation of George V the easy going life at Ascot changed dramatically for Sydney. It appeared he had been racing his own horses and had incurred 'some debts' and under the new standard of behaviour for Crown Servants being set by George V,  Sydney was dismissed as the Clerk of Course.

In 1911, non-payment of debt could result in a jail sentence and Sydney decided to leave the country. A few friends clubbed in to pay for a ticket to Australia. He left Gladys and his two children for the last time when he embarked on the SS Orsova from London bound for Sydney on the 22 December 1911.

He moved to Melbourne in 1912 and appears to have sustained himself by publishing a form guide, which was sold for a shilling.

He next appears on the 1914 Australian electoral roll living at 28 Jolimont Terrace, East Melbourne.  He listed his occupation as Captain,  his final rank in the British Army. His wife is not listed and was presumably still back in the UK with the two children.

On the 14 August 1914 he enlisted in the AIF and, with his military background, he was appointed a lieutenant in the then being formed 5th Battalion. He is 41 years old, 6 feet 1 inches tall, and a trim 12 stone 4 lbs. He nominated that he was married and that he was a reserve officer in the East Lancashire Regiment.

His military background was recognised and he became  a key member of the formation of the 5th Battalion. Within three months, on the 18 October 1914, prior to departure overseas  he was promoted to Captain and given command of A Company 5th Battalian.

The 5th Battalion departed from Melbourne on HMAT Orvieto [A3] on 21 October 1914. The full details of the formation of the 5th Battalian and the training, departure, and time in Eygpt are listed  on the attachment below.

The War Diary for the 5th Battalian covering  late April 1915 is missing so the details of specific actions are not recorded, however, we do know the the 5th Battalion was in the second wave of landings on the 25th April 1915 and Sydney would have been leading A Company. He was reported missing on the 25th April 1915.

Sydney was confirmed to have been KIA the next day, 26th April 1915, initially  buried at Brown's Dip South Cemetery, which was about 500 yards south of Anzac Cove. He now lies in the Lone Pine Cemetery in Plot 1 Row F Grave 9.

A list of his effects & property is attached (see below).

His wife Gladys  was awarded a pension of 101 pounds pa in December 1915 and his two sons Eric Reynold and David Sydney were awarded 13 pounds pa. The were living at Newport in England at this time.