Charles ANDERSON

ANDERSON, Charles

Service Number: 2106
Enlisted: 1 June 1915, Adelaide, South Australia
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 27th Infantry Battalion
Born: Birkenhead, South Australia, 20 August 1888
Home Town: Birkenhead, Port Adelaide Enfield, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Clerk
Died: Natural causes, Repat Hospital, Daw Park, South Australia, 19 February 1968, aged 79 years
Cemetery: Cheltenham Cemetery, South Australia
Memorials: Largs North Port Adelaide Sailing Club Roll of Honor
Show Relationships

World War 1 Service

1 Jun 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2106, 27th Infantry Battalion, Adelaide, South Australia
21 Sep 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2106, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1,

  embarkation_roll: roll_number: 15 embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note:

21 Sep 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2106, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England A15
29 Dec 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2106, 27th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli
28 Jul 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2106, 7th Machine Gun Company, Battle for Pozières
15 Nov 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2106, 27th Infantry Battalion, 'The Winter Offensive' - Flers/Gueudecourt winter of 1916/17
24 Feb 1917: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 7th Infantry Brigade Headquarters
24 Aug 1919: Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 2106, 27th Infantry Battalion

Help us honour Charles Anderson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography

Son of Clara Johanne ANDERSON

Surname: ANDERSON; Given Names: Charles; Date of Birth: 20 August 1888; Date of Enlistment: 1 June 1915; Trade or Calling: Accountant; Birth Location: Birkenhead; Address prior to enlistment: Wells St Birkenhead; Photograph sent by: Mrs C J Anderson
Source: State Records SA

Charles Anderson was 25 when he enlisted in June 1915.  He was a "Fair Dinkum"; the nickname given to men who signed up after the casualty lists from Gallipoli began to be published and it was clear that the war was a lot more serious than some big adventure as had seemed to many to be the case in the heady early days of the war.

He was assigned to the 4th Reinforcements of the 27th Battalion and after basic training joined the rest of his draft and embarked on the Star of England for the Middle East.  The main body of the 27th Battalion meanwhile had just landed at Gallipoli, where the 4th Reinforcements would join them albeit at the very end of the campaign, in time for the withdrawal to Lemnos Island and then extraction to Mudros.  In March 1916, along with the rest of the Battalion, he embarked for Marseilles and then the long train trip to Northern France.

His records indicated that immediatly prior to Pozieres, he was detached to the 7th Machine Gun Company where he remained for some four months before returning to the Battalion.  In early 1917 he was detached to HQ 7th Brigade where he saw out most of the  rest of the War returning to the Battalion as it was re-configuring for the return to Australia.  He appears to have nejoyed a clean bill of health, no disciplinary 'events' and he was unwounded - a rare combination indeed.

In 1967, his widow, Alma Irene Anderson, then of 3 Centre Street Largs Bay, applied for his Gallipoli Medallion

More to follow.....

1914/15 Star - 394

British War Medal: 6339

Victory Medal: 6276

 

Read more...