BEGLEY, Prince Charles Edward
| Service Number: | 2556 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 April 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 50th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mitcham, South Australia, 4 May 1888 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Parkside State School |
| Occupation: | Station Hand near Koonamore |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Noreuil, France, 2 April 1917, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Koonamore Station WW1 Memorial, Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Apr 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2556, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2556, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Kanowna embarkation_ship_number: A61 public_note: '' | |
| 17 Sep 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2556, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, Taken on strength at Gallipoli | |
| 26 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 50th Infantry Battalion | |
| 12 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2556, 50th Infantry Battalion, Mouquet Farm | |
| 15 Oct 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 20 Mar 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2556, 50th Infantry Battalion, German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line and Outpost Villages | |
| 2 Apr 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2556, 50th Infantry Battalion, Noreuil, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2556 awm_unit: 50 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-04-02 |
Obituary
The Advertiser Saturday 19 May 1917 page 10
THE LATE PRIVATE P. C. E. BEGLEY.
Information has been received by Mr.E.W. Parry, of Gouger street, that his cousin, Private P. C. E. Begley, was killed in action in France on April 2. He enlisted in March, 1915, and left Adelaide on June 25 of the same year with reinforcements for the 10th Battalion, in Egypt. After active service on Gallipoli he returned to Egypt, and was attached to the 50th Battalion, who were among the first to arrive in France. He remained with them until his death. Up to the time of enlisting he was well-known on the Wallabedina, Curnamona, and Baratta stations. He was born at Mircham, and was 29 years of age. He has left one brother and one sister Mrs.K Bradley. of Malvern, and was the nephew of Mr. E. S. Matthews, Lindsay Park, Angaston, and the late Mr, and Mrs. E. Parry Marion street, Unley
Submitted 26 January 2016 by Faithe Jones
Biography
Born Bruce Charles Edward BEGLEY
Son of George BEGLEY and Elizabeth nee MATTHEWS
Biography contributed by Tanya Seslija
Born on the 4th of May 1888 in Mitcham, Adelaide South Australia, formerly known as Bruce Charles Edward Begley, and now known as Prince Charles Edward Begley was the son of George and Elizabeth Begley, along with his sister Isabel Elizabeth Begley. He was raised in a Presbyterian home meaning that he grew up being surrounded by religious traditions.
Before embarking the fight in World War 1, Begley attended Parkside State School, and worked as a station hand near Koonamore which is located near Waukaringa South Australia.
Prince Charles Edward Begley was enlisted and embarked with the Australian Imperial Forces 7th reinforcements of the 10th battalion. He enlisted as a soldier on 12th of April 1915. He then embarked for Adelaide, South Australia on board the HMAT A61 on the 23rd of June 1915.
Approximately, after a year of him being enlisted, he was transferred into the 50th Battalion.
His records indicate he was charged for insubordination. He was convicted since he did not comply with orders that were given to him by a superior officer. However, what the order was or why he disobeyed this order is unknown. Since he disobeyed the orders of someone superior, he was sentenced to a reduction of the ranks. Due to the reduction of his rank, his rank went down from a corporal to a private. Unfortunately, Prince Charles Edward Begley did not manage to move off this rank before the Battle of Noreuil, France.
Prince Charles Edward Begley was killed in action, in the field on the 2nd of April 1917 in the confused fighting in and around the small village of Noreuil near Bullecourt in northern France. When he died he was 28 years of age. He has no known grave, but he is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux-Memorial.
After Begley’s death, his medals were requested to be disposed by his next in kin Isabel Elizabeth Begley.
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