Captain Clarence S. Jeffries VC
Jeffries was born and bred in the Newcastle/Hunter region in 1894. After graduating from Newcastle High School he was apprenticed to his father as a mining engineer. His father, Joshua was the General Manager of the Abermain Collieries and young Clarence had become chief surveyor at Abermain Collieries by 1916. Only 20 years old when World War 1 erupted, Jeffries was already serving in the Hunter River Civilian Military Forces (CMF) as an officer.