FITZPATRICK, Charles Patrick
| Service Number: | 1470 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 4th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Kilmore, Victoria, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Toolamba West, Greater Shepparton, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Illness (Inflammation pharynx, septic), France, 17 June 1916, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Nanango War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 1470, 6th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 1470, 6th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Euripides, Sydney | |
| 17 Jun 1916: | Involvement Driver, 1470, 4th Field Company Engineers, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1470 awm_unit: 4th Field Company, Australian Engineers awm_rank: Driver awm_died_date: 1916-06-17 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Ian Lang
#1470 FITZPATRICK Charles Patrick 6th Light Horse / 4th Field Company Engineers
Charles Fitzpatrick was born in Kilmore Victoria. He enlisted on 8th September 1915 at Holsworthy NSW. Charles stated his occupation as cook and butcher. He named his mother, Mary, a widow of Toolamba West, as his next of kin.
Charles was drafted into the 11th reinforcements of the 6th Light Horse at Liverpool and after two months training embarked on the “Euripides” in Sydney on 2nd November 1915. Upon arrival in Egypt, Charles joined other light horse reinforcements in the remounts depot awaiting a placement with a Light Horse Regiment.
At the end of 1915, with the abandonment of the Mediterranean Campaign at Gallipoli, the AIF began a restructure which would see the Light Horse move to the ANZAC Mounted Division for defence of the Suez Canal. At the same time, the rest of the AIF was being expanded from two to four divisions which necessitated not only an increase in the infantry battalions but in ancillary and support units. On 22nd April, Charles was transferred from the Light Horse depot to the 4th Field Company Engineers where he was designated as a driver of the general service wagons which were pulled by horse or mule teams. On 1stJune, the sappers of the 4th Engineers boarded a ship at Alexandria for the eight day crossing of the Mediterranean to the French port of Marseilles.
The engineers boarded a train which transported the unit to Abbeville in Northern France. Upon arrival at Abbeville, Charles reported to a Field Ambulance with a case of Mumps. Mumps is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. The disease was very common amongst soldiers of the Great War who spent time in the close confines of troopships. A common symptom associated with mumps is an infected throat. In Charles’ case this was sufficiently serious to warrant transfer to the 16th General Hospital at Le Treport.
On 16th June, Charles was listed as dangerously ill. His file states “inflamed pharynx (septic)”.
On 19th June, Charles died of the streptococcus infection. He was buried in the Le Treport British Cemetery.
Charles’ mother received a camera which had belonged to her son. She also wrote to the authorities enquiring about the location of her son’s grave (which she mistakenly believed was in England) as her sister was planning to visit Charles’ grave.
The reason for Charles Fitzpatrick’s name appearing on the Nanango War Memorial is a mystery. During his early life he may well have travelled widely but there is no indication that he was known in the South Burnett District. It is also rather curious that Charles’ is not commemorated on the memorials at Kilmore or Toolamba.