FOX, Claude Stanley

Claude was born in the Inverell district in 1893 to Albert and Martha Fox.  The family lived on the property Fairfield at Mt. Russell, west of Inverell.  Claude was a twenty two year old single man working as a Fuelman when he enlisted at Inverell in January 1916.  With other local men he joined the Secrond Contingent of The Kurrajongs who left Inverell on 29 February 1916 and went to the Narrabri and Armidale camps.

He became a member of the 33rd Battalion, 1st Reinforcement, A Company which trained at Armidale and Rutherford prior to departing Australian on HMAT A74 Marathon in May 1916. After nine weeks at sea the Battalion arrived in England where further training was undertaken at Salisbury Plain.  Just before they were sent to France in November, Claude was transferred to the 3rd Division Light Trench Mortar Battery unit. Claude was wounded in October 1917 and treated for a gunshot wound to his hand. Six months later he was gassed and invalided back to England where he was admitted to 2nd Southern General Hospital at Oxford.  He returned to France in August 1918 where he remained until just before returning to Australia in August 1919.  He was medically discharged a few weeks later.

Claude married Ethel Donnelly in Sydney in 1919 and they lived there until his death in 1972.

Private Claude Fox is remembered at Inverell where his name is inscribed on the town’s Honor Roll. His name is also recorded on the Mt. Russell Honor Roll at Delungra’s Anzac Park.

Photo: submitted by family