ALDERTON, Charles
| Service Numbers: | 1797, 1797A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 16 November 2016, He was only 16 when he enlisted. Letters from his parents were signed, giving him approval for active duty. Recruitment papers were signed on 19/10/16 at Victoria Barracks |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 4th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Woy Woy, NSW, 14 July 1900 |
| Home Town: | Woy Woy, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Hammer Driver |
| Died: | Newcastle, NSW, 1 April 1985, aged 84 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Woy Woy War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Dec 1916: | Involvement Private, 1797, Camel Corps, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Dec 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1797, Camel Corps, HMAT Vestalia A44, Melbourne | |
| 15 Dec 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1797, Camel Corps, Re-Embarked at Melbourne Vic per HMAT A44 Vestalia | |
| 24 Feb 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, Camel Corps, Transferred from 2nd to 4th Light Horse (Camel Corp) Regiment | |
| 16 Nov 2016: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1797A, 4th Light Horse Regiment, He was only 16 when he enlisted. Letters from his parents were signed, giving him approval for active duty. Recruitment papers were signed on 19/10/16 at Victoria Barracks |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Rebecca Weldon
Charles's parents signed papers to allow their 16 year old to go to war.
Although they had given permission it was their understanding he would be cleaning out the stables down the road and were shocked and saddened to see him shipped off to the battlefields overseas.
Charles was first assigned to the Camel Corp and later transferred to the 4th Light Horse where he was in the Charge of Beersheba, aged 17.
Charles, like many returned veterans, rarely spoke of his war experiences except to say "he did not care for camels and did not like baked beans".
He stayed on after the armistice and worked with the clean up after the war. He returned to his home town of Woy Wpy in 1919 to a hero's welcome. The whole town came to the train station to meet him and carried him up the main street. It was a very memorable welcome home.
Six of Charles's cousins served in World War One, and at least 2 of them died on the Western Front (both from the one family). They were all from Woy Woy.
Please note some documents list his Service Number as 1797 and others 1797A
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