FRENCH, Charles Gordon
| Service Number: | 1914 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 January 1915, Oaklands, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 4th Machine Gun Battalion |
| Born: | Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, 11 February 1892 |
| Home Town: | Goodwood, Unley, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Fraserburgh Public School, Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
| Occupation: | Shoemaker |
| Died: | Bronchial Pneumonia, Military Hospital in Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, 9 February 1919, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Fraserburgh (Kirkton) Cemetery Grave 1910. 5. 616. Personal Inscription THEY MISS HIM MOST WHO LOVED HIM BEST |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Jan 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1914, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Oaklands, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 1914, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Apr 1915: | Embarked Private, 1914, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Hororata, Adelaide | |
| 24 May 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 4th Machine Gun Battalion | |
| 9 Feb 1919: | Involvement Private, 1914, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1914 awm_unit: 4th Australian Machine Gun Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1919-02-09 |
Help us honour Charles Gordon French's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 9th February.... Charles Gordon French was born in 1892 at Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
According to information supplied by his wife for the Roll of Honour - Charles Gordon French came to Australia when he was 19 years old.
Charles Gordon French enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) at Oaklands, South Australia on 22nd January, 1915 as a 22 year old, single, Shoemaker.
Private French embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on HMAT Hororata (A20) on 20th April, 1915 with the 16th Battalion. He was taken on strength of 16th Battalion at Gallipoli on 13th July, 1915.
Private French was wounded on 17th August, 1915 with gunshot wounds to left leg. He was admitted to Hospital at Malts then transferred to England & admitted to County of London War Hospital, Epsom on 15th September, 1915 with a bullet wound to leg. He was discharged on 18th October, 1915.
Private French was marched in to Abbey Wood, England on 10th November, 1915.
Charles Gordon French married Jessie T. Murdoch on 25th December, 1915 at St. Nicholas’s Church, Aberdeen, Scotland.
Private French was taken on strength at Weymouth on 21st February, 1916. He was transferred to Perham Downs, Salisbury, Wiltshire from Monte Video on 28th June, 1916.
Private French proceeded overseas to France & joined his Battalion on 27th July, 1917. He was sent sick to Hospital on 11th September, 1917 & rejoined his Unit on 27th September, 1917.
Private French was transferred to 52nd Battalion on 5th October, 1917. He was on leave to UK from 17th March, 1918 & rejoined his Unit from leave on 24th March, 1918.
Private French was transferred to 49th Battalion on 16th May, 1918. He was detached to 4th Machine Gun Battalion on 20th May, 1918.
Private French was on leave to UK from 23rd August, 1918 & rejoined his Unit from leave on 10th September, 1918.
Private Charles Gordon French was transferred to 4th Machine Gun Battalion on 8th September, 1918.
Private Charles Gordon French was struck off strength in France on 9th January, 1919 ready for return to Australia (1915 Personnel). He was marched out from Havre to England on 15th January, 1918 for return to Australia & was posted to No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England on 16th January, 1919 – awaiting his turn for Transport back to Australia.
Private French was admitted to No.1 Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire on 1st February, 1919 with Influenza. He was reported as dangerously ill with Broncho Pneumonia on 6th February, 1919.
Private Charles Gordon French died at 6 am on 9th February, 1919 at 1st Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England from Broncho Pneumonia. He was buried in Kirkton Cemetery, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
The headstone in front of Private Charles Gordon French’s CWGC headstone belongs to his wife & son.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
Headstone Photo – courtesy of Martin Briscoe
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/fraserburgh.html
Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
16th Battalion, 5th Reinforcement subsequently
Australian Machine Gun Corps, A.I.F. 4th Battalion
Marriage Registration
FRENCH, Charles Gordon—AND—MURDOCH, Jessie Trail
Year: 1915
Ref: 168/1 1070----RD Name: St Nicholas [Aberdeen]
Served with the Gordon Highlanders for a short while.
Age on arrival in Australia 19
22 year old Private Charles Gordon French enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 22 Jan 1915 and embarked from Adelaide on H. M. A. T. A20 'Hororata' on 20 April 1915, sailing to England with his regiment.
He was 27 and the son of William French of 35 Charlotte Street, Fraserburgh, Scotland; husband of Jessie Trail (née Murdoch) French of 59 High Street, Fraserburgh .
Click images to start slideshow.