Cecil Walter Challis

Cecil Walter Challis

Personal Information
Date of Birth	14 Jun 1883
Place of Birth	Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, England
Death	8 Sep 1957, aged 72
Place of Death	West Perth, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	31 years old
Description	5' 4¼" (1.63m) tall ; 125 lbs 56.699 kg ; fresh complexion ; blue eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation	Poultry man
Religion	Church of England
Address	Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Thomas Challis
Military Information
Reg Number	6249
Date of Enlistment	12 Apr 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	11th Battalion, 20th Reinforcements, posted to B Company / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division.
Date of Embarkation	18 Sep 1916 ‒ 2 Nov 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A46 Clan McGillivray Fremantle to Plymouth
Date of Return	1 Jun 1919 ‒ 8 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Somali
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (West Armadale panel) Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Cecil was elected to the management committee of the Armadale-Kelmscott Co-operative Society in July 1915.

War Service

Entering Blackboy Hill camp on 12 Apr 1916, he was initially allocated to the 64th Depot Company before on 1 May 1916 when he was transferred to the 21st reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion. Ten weeks later, on 22 Jul 1916, he was reallocated to the 20th draft for the same unit.

On arrival in England he was sent to the 3rd Training Battalion, and after six weeks additional training he travelled from Folkstone to France aboard the HMT Golden Eagle on 17 Dec 1916.

In France he reported to the 1st Division's Base Depot in Étaples before being sent forward to join his unit. Cecil was taken on the strength of the 11th Battalion on 17 Jan 1917 near Bresle about 5 km west of Albert during terrible weather with sleet rain falling for most of the day. He was posted to "B" Company.

His records imply that he remained with the battalion trouble free for the rest of the war.

He enjoyed a period of leave in England from 3 - 17 Jan 1919 before rejoining the battalion in France on 20 Jan 1919. He remained in France until 24 Apr 1919 after which time he returned to England via Le Havre and Southampton.

Cecil then remained in England until 1 Jun 1919 when it was his turn to head home. He was discharged by the 5th Military District on 18 Sep 1919.

CW Challis is shown as being expected aboard the S.S. Somali.

Post War

Returned to poultry farming after the war (electoral roll 1925). Cecil's first wife Flora (nee Shingfield) who he married in 1920 died on 27 Nov 1930 (suddenly) leaving him to raise a young son who was born 10 Sep 1922. His son served in the 10th Light Horse Regiment during WW2 with Regimental Number W20831.

Cecil remarried in 1933 to Amy Ivy (nee Blight). Retired to Mandurah by the 1954 roll where he died three years later.

Son Desmond Cecil is on the 1949 - 1963 Electoral Roll at "Bonneville", on Challis Road in Armadale farming (wife Alma Beatrice from 1954). In 1968 and 1972 they are at 44 Little John Rd before moving to Paulls Road in Pinjarra by 1977. Their property "Bonneville" was in the area now occupied by the Challis shops and surrounding roads.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial