The March 1915 issue of The Newingtonian contained a letter sent by Clive Kaeppel from the AIF’s Mena Camp in Egypt. As The Newingtonian noted, ‘It gives us peculiar pleasure to insert his letter, the first communication we have received from our Old Boys who have gone to the front.’

Clive describes how he had spent Christmas — ‘the most rotten one I ever spent’ — on outpost duty in the desert. In their free time, he and his mates explored the nearby Pyramids, with Clive climbing to the top of the Pyramid of Cheops. They also went into Cairo, just 10 miles away, on leave days. Clive’s letter contains vivid impressions of the city and its inhabitants. Through another Old Newingtonian, he was introduced to an Italian family, with whom he could have a cup of tea and a hot bath, which, needless to say, is a great treat’, when he visited. You can read Clive’s letter in the digitised copy of the March 1915 issue in the Archives SPACE or on the College website.

While many former Newington students are known to have enlisted soon after the outbreak of war, Clive Kaeppel was the first we know of who enlisted while still at school, on 24 September 1914. He had been preparing for the entrance examination for the Military College, Duntroon, and, as The Newingtonian reported, ‘gave good prospects of being successful.’ He played in the Newington 1st XV in 1913 and 1914 and was a member of the College Cadet team that won the Commonwealth Championship in 1913.

While in Egypt, Clive was wounded in an encounter with Turkish forces and was invalided back to Australia. Thus, he missed the Gallipoli campaign, which may have been a reason for his re-enlistment as soon as he had recovered. After six months in England, he joined the AIF in France, where he was severely wounded in the fighting at Polygon Wood on 20 September 1917. He lingered until 24 October and was buried in Rouen. A brass tablet was erected in his memory in the Prescott Hall. Along with 28 other memorial tablets, most from the First World War, it is now in the Chapel Walkway on the left side of the College Chapel.

Mr David Roberts
College Archivist