About Claude Pemble

William Henry Claude Pemble was the only son born to William & Emily Pemble. He was born in Albany, but the family settled at Katanning, Western Australia where William grew up. He joined the Union Bank at Katanning and was transferred to Broome around 1914.

Broome Connection

Claude, as he was known, worked for the Union Bank in 1914 and 1915. He was also active in the local community, serving as Honorable Secretary of the tennis club and also performing in the Broome Comedy Company’s performances.

War Service

Claude joined the AIF in 1915 when he was nearly 26 years old. He was posted to the 16th Battalion, 13th Reinforcements and left Fremantle for Egypt in February 1916. The 16th Battalion spent time at Gaza as the AIF underwent a period of expansion and re-organisation, and were then sent to Europe to take part in the fighting on the Western Front. It was in the field in France that Claude became ill with pneumonia and succumbed to the disease in December 1916.

Enlistment Details

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Date of Enlistment: 22/09/1915
Place of Enlistment:
Occupation: Clerk
Age at Enlistment: 25
Service Number: 4242
Unit: 16th Battalion, 13th Reinforcement
Rank: Private
Fate: Illness (Pneumonia)
Place of Death: France 
Date of Death: 21/12/1916
Cemetery or Memorial Details: St Sever Cemetery Extension, Haute-Normandie, France 
Place of Association: Katanning, Western Australia, Australia
Broome War Memorial: Does not appear on Broome Memoiral, but is remembered on Katanning’s War Memorial

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Newspaper Articles

Other Online Resources

View William Pemble at the National Archives of Australia
View William Pemble at the Australian War Memorial