Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From François Berthout

Today, to commemorate the anniversary of his death, I come with respect, humility and gratitude to pay tribute to Private number 2492 Charles Roy Jeffreys who was accidentally killed on January 21, 1917 at the age of 24

Charles was born in 1893 at Mildura, Victoria, Australia and was the son of Robert and Annie Jeffreys.Robert was a tailor in Main Street, Bairnsdale and his son,Charles,was educated at the School of Mines and was working at Winson’s foundry where he showed much promise as a mechanical engineer. Charles was another of the Bairnsdale Rowing Club members who enlisted and it was during a recruiting drive in July 1915 that he was rejected due to his small chest expansion.Charles was not only a keen member of the Rowing Club but was also regarded as a capable marksman at the local Rifle Club.He was eventually accepted and joined the 2nd Field Company Engineers.he embarked with his unit from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMS Mooltan December 11, 1915 and he disembarked in France in April 1916.In a letter to his mother he described how.

"there is mud everywhere,over the boot tops and in some cases up to the knees and is described their routine two hour march to the frontline as the ground is full of shellholes, and was very slippery. It was a common sight to see a comrade slip right into a deep shell hole full of slush. When he came out he resembled a model in clay. I have escaped having one of these baths so far, though I have sat down and fallen down, face downwards, quite unintentionally, in inches of mud. The communication trenches were always full of mud and water, so we preferred walking along the top till we reached the last 800 yards. Then we went down on the double because Fritz was always on the lookout for us and had a fairly heavy barrage fire toward us.Our company was very fortunate in the matter of causalities. But for what one shell did we would have escaped scathless. This shell came into our trench and killed three outright and wounded four others."

In early January 1917 Charles requested a transfer to the 1st Divisional Supply Column. At 1.45pm on 21 January 1917 he was the lookout man on a lorry carrying supplies for the troops. There had been heavy rain and the sides of the lorry were up, hindering the view from the lorry. At a railway level crossing at Behencourt(Somme),the lorry was struck by a train and he was killed instantly.Today Charles Roy Jeffreys rests in peace at the Contay British Cemetery, Somme, with all his brothers in arms.

The Somme does not forget and will never forget any of these young men, these courageous men who fell here and they will always be remembered, honored with respect and dignity so that their names and their memories will live forever.🌺