Accidental Death of C

C. C. Judd

LIEUT-COLONEL Clifford Charles Judd, MM, who spent almost 20 years in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea, was killed in an accident while in charge of an Officers’ Training School, in Queensland, on January 16, 1943.

Lieut.-Colonel Judd was born in Vic toria and served in World War I. He was commissioned after brilliant work at Lone Pine and won his Military Medal when he volunteered to run back over no-man’s-land under heavy fire, to rescue a badly-needed machine-gun. He was wounded twice in France, was mentioned in despatches, and returned to Australia with the rank of Captain.

In the early 20’s he became senior accountant and auditor, and later second or third member, of the New Guinea Expropriation Board, but with the open ing of the Morobe goldfields he resigned and became a miner, working a lease on tribute in the Wau district for many years. It was at this time that he became interested in the defence of the Terri tory, and he turned the experience gained in Gallipoli and France to good use by training a voluntary force of Australians and natives in defence meth ods —far-sighted work that was never officially recognised.

About 1939, he returned to Australia and bought a hotel in Queensland. He spared neither time, money nor enthu siasm in promoting the Volunteer Defence Corps in the Toowoomba and Darling Downs districts, and he was soon pro moted Lieut.-Colonel and VDC Group- Commander. For some months, he was Commander of the Maryborough LOG Area, and in January, 1943, he was placed in charge of the Officers’ School at Pialba, where he met his untimely end.

“Clarrie” Judd was one of the best known and best-liked men of the Morobe district, and his death is felt keenly by many prominent men of the Territory, who hailed him as a “one-talk.”

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. E. W.

Judd, of Toowoomba. Mrs. Judd was Miss E. Townsend, a sister of H. O. Townsend, Treasurer of the New Guinea Adminis tration. Mr. Townsend has not been heard of since the Japanese occupation of Rabaul in January, 1942.

Lieut.-Colonel Judd.