'Uncle Clyde' remembered with a song
12 November 2012
Those who gathered at the Hall Memorial Grove for the annual Remembrance Day ceremony heard a special tribute to Clyde Hollingsworth, who was killed in action at Bullecourt, France in 1917. He was one of two men from Hall who enlisted in the AIF but did not return - the other was Morley Brown.
One of ten children, Clyde was born in Yass in 1893, but lived in Hall from the time that his parents – Malachi and Susan Hollingsworth – took over the 'Cricketers Arms' in 1896. Ten years later Susan, by then a widow, moved into the Hall village with her family. They lived on the corner of Victoria and Gladstone Street, where she later ran a boarding house.
In 1909 one of Clyde's older sisters - Ada – married George Kinlyside, who became a prominent Hall citizen and successful business operator, thereby connecting the Kinlyside and Hollingsworth families. Before enlisting, Clyde had done his apprenticeship and was working as a blacksmith and farrier for George, his brother-in-law.
George Kinlyside's grand-daughter Joan, and her husband 'Jack', attended the Remembrance Day ceremony and were offered a special welcome. The Kinlyside descendants have a deep affection for their great Uncle Clyde.
Clyde enlisted in the 55th Battalion AIF on 29th February 1916. His send off by the Hall community is described in the song. He died in action at Bullecourt in the Somme Region, France, the following year, on 11th May 1917, aged 23.
His memory is honoured in the Hall Memorial Grove, and his name is inscribed on the Honour Board in the Hall School Museum. After the War, in 1919, his Mother, Susan Hollingsworth, was given the honour of planting the Peace Tree at Hall School, a juniper pine.
Another of Clyde's sisters – Florence - married Jack Kevans. It was their grandson – Denis Kevans – who wrote the song – 'Uncle Clyde'. Denis Kevans may be known to some of you as a poet, singer and song-writer. Before he died in 2005 one of his collaborators was folk singer Sonia Bennett.
We are extremely grateful to Denis' daughter Sophia for tracking down the song for us, and to Sonia Bennett for recording the song especially for this ceremony. Click here to listen to the song 'Uncle Clyde'.
[Our photo of Clyde, sent by Pat Kinlyside, is one that is one that used to hang in the entrance hall of his sister Ada's home in Braddon]