SPENCER, Charles Robert
| Service Number: | 32751 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 September 1916, 3 years Junior Cadets |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Light Trench Mortar Battery |
| Born: | Beechworth, Victoria, Australia, 28 March 1892 |
| Home Town: | Albury, Albury Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Ironmonger |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom, 11 October 1917, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
Reading Cemetery, England |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Beechworth War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Sep 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Gunner, 32751, Medium Trench Mortar Batteries, 3 years Junior Cadets | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Feb 1917: | Involvement Gunner, 32751, Medium Trench Mortar Batteries, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Osterley embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 10 Feb 1917: | Embarked Gunner, 32751, Medium Trench Mortar Batteries, RMS Osterley, Sydney | |
| 21 Sep 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Gunner, 32751, 2nd Light Trench Mortar Battery, Third Ypres, SW jaw & compound fracture and left shoulder DoW England | |
| 11 Oct 1917: | Involvement Gunner, 32751, 2nd Light Trench Mortar Battery, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 32751 awm_unit: 2nd Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1917-10-11 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 11th October…… Charles Robert Spencer was born at Beechworth, Victoria on 28th March, 1892.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 26th September, 1916 as a 24 year old, single, Ironmonger from Sylvania, Albury, NSW.
Gunner Charles Robert Spencer, Service number 32751, embarked from Sydney on RMS Osterley on 10th February, 1917 with Trench Mortar Battery. He was promoted to Sergeant for voyage only & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 11th April, 1917.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
On 11th April, 1917 Sergeant Spencer was marched in to H. & D. Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire & his rank reverted to Gunner on 12th April, 1917.
He proceeded overseas to France from H. & D. Depot, Camps 4 & 5, Perham Downs on 22nd May, 1917. Gunner Spencer was marched in to A.G.B.D. (Australian General Base Depot) at Rouelles, France on 23rd May, 1917. He was marched out to 2nd Division Trench Mortar Battery on 7th June, 1917 & was taken on strength & posted to Y2/A Battery in France on 8th June, 1917.
Gunner Charles Robert Spencer was promoted to Temporary Bombardier from 5th September, 1917 – vice Cpl. Lambton Killed in action.
On 21st September, 1917 Temporary Bombardier Charles Robert Spencer was wounded in action. He was taken to 6th Australian Field Ambulance with multiple gunshot wounds then transferred on 3rd Casualty Clearing Station on 22nd September, 1917.
Temporary Bombardier Charles Robert Spencer reverted back to his permanent rank of Gunner on being evacuated wounded in France on 21st September, 1917. Gunner Charles Robert Spencer was transferred by Ambulance Train15 on 23rd September, 1917 & admitted to 35th General Hospital at Calais, France the same day with shrapnel wounds to left shoulder & fracture of lower jaw. Gunner Spencer embarked for England on Hospital Ship Pieter de Conick on 25th September, 1917.
He was admitted to Reading War Hospital, Reading, Berkshire, England on 26th September, 1917 with shrapnel wounds to jaw & left shoulder.
Gunner Charles Robert Spencer died at 10.20 am on 11th October, 1917 at No. 1 Reading War Hospital, Reading, Berkshire, England from wounds received in action – Shell wound to jaw & compound fracture and left shoulder.
He was buried in Reading Cemetery, Reading, Berkshire – Screen Wall. 72. 16369. Those buried in Plot 72 & buried in other parts of the cemetery that do not have headstones marking their graves are named on the Memorial Screen Wall located near the Cross of Sacrifice. Their deaths are still acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/reading.html
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