AYERS, Charles Thomas
| Service Number: | 3002 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 August 1915, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 55th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Temora, New South Wales, Australia, 26 April 1886 |
| Home Town: | Cootamundra, Cootamundra, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Brawlin Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Tram guard |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Polygon Wood, Belgium, 26 September 1917, aged 31 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cootamundra RSL Honour Rolls, Cootamundra Sacred Heart Catholic Church Memorial, Cootamundra War Memorial, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3002, Sydney, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3002, 3rd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Warilda embarkation_ship_number: A69 public_note: '' | |
| 8 Oct 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3002, 3rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Warilda, Sydney | |
| 13 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 55th Infantry Battalion | |
| 26 Sep 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3002, 55th Infantry Battalion, Polygon Wood, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3002 awm_unit: 55th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-09-26 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Charles Thomas AYERS, (Service Number 3002) was born on 27 April 1886 at Temora. He commenced working with the NSW Trams as a conductor in July 1910 as a casual and became a permanent employee a year later. He was given leave to join the Expeditionary Forces in August 1915, and left Australia on 8 October 1915.
He travelled to Egypt and from there went on to Marseilles. After a period at the School of Instruction in late 1916 he had a prolonged period of illness and hospitalisation he re-joined his unit in France in May 1917. He was killed in action at Polygon Wood, on 26 September 1917. He was buried where he fell by some of his comrades, but the location of his grave was lost by the time that that official war cemeteries were created after the war. With no known grave his name is engraved on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing at Ypres, Belgium.
Charles Thomas AYERS’ younger brother, Second-Lieutenant Sydney Winton AYERS of the Australian Flying Corps also died in the Great War, two months after his brother.
(NAA B2455-3942183)
Submitted 9 May 2023 by John Oakes
Great Uncle Tom
The family came from Cootamundra in NSW. The boys where well liked at school, there are many newspaper clippings in the local papers for the boys in honour of them and there brothers in arms.
There are two plaques donated to the Catholic Church in Paddington where the family moved to. The plaques were donated by their loving mother.
Sydney and Tom where killed in action in the same year.
Grand-dad Vic came home. These boys are well honoured in our family even today and we celebrate their lives and memories .
Thank You for your Service. - Kathrine Ayers Smith
Submitted 8 December 2015 by Kathrine Margaret Smith
Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
He was 29 and the son of Thomas Gabriel Ayers and Ellen Mary Ayers, of "Fernleigh," Third and Holden Streets, South Ashfield, New South Wales.
His brother, Lieutenant Sydney Winton Ayers, aged 24 also fell. He served with 68th (R.F.C.) Squadron. Australian Flying Corps and rests in LEBUCQUIERE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION-Grave I.D.12
Biography
Charles was one of 11 children of Thomas and Ellen Ayers.
His brother Sydney served and died of wounds in France, while his other brother Victor, having returned injured, re-enlisted and returned for active service a second time WW1. Other brothers Tom and Eugene also served.
Charlie was very much loved and is greatly missed by his family. Charlie's name is etched into the Menin Gate (Ypres, Belgium) Memorial at Panel 29.
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