Sydney Charles Welch

Sydney Charles Welch

Courtesy Mark Heath
Personal Information
Date of Birth	March 1882
Place of Birth	Wandsworth, Surrey, England
Death	10 Oct 1964, aged 82
Place of Death	East Fremantle, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	33 years, 7 months
Description	5'9½" (1.76m) tall ; 158 lbs 71.668 kg ; fresh complexion ; grey eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation	Commercial traveller
Religion	Church of England
Address	c/- Kitley Chemist, Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr C Welch
Military Information
Reg Number	4539
Date of Enlistment	1 Nov 1915
Rank	Corporal
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion, 14th reinforcements transferred to AIF HQ / 4th brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	12 Feb 1916 (embarked 9 Feb) ‒ 11 Mar 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A28 Miltiades Fremantle to Port Tewfik (Suez)
Date of Return	18 Dec 1919 ‒ 28 Jan 1920
Ship Returned On	SS Königin Luise England to Fremantle
Fate	Wounded in Action 18 Sep 1917 Returned to Australia
Monument	none at present
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Born to Charles Welch and Rose Alice Scopes, Sydney was the oldest of three children, the others being sisters (Gertrude, and Doris Isabel). Prior to emigration to Australia he had served for 5 years with the 3rd Middlesex Artillery.

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 Piawaning, timekeeper; 1928 at 102 Hay street, Perth, clerk; 1931 at 6 Jubilee street, South Perth, cost clerk; 1936 at 131 Bourke street, Kalgoorlie, clerk.

Family history has it that he bought several gold mining leases and seems to have found gold as money was sent back to the family in England. They used the money to purchase silver hair brushes and Doris also used some of the money to electrify her sewing machine.

War Service

Entered Blackboy Hill camp on 1 Nov 1915 and on 16 Dec 1915 was allocated to the 14th reinforcement draft for the 12th Battalion. However, on 4 Jan 1916 this was changed to the 14th draft for the 16th Battalion.

In Egypt, on 16 Apr 1916 he was again reassigned, this time to 4th Division Artillery as part of the reorganisation of the AIF in Egypt in preparation for service on the Western Front. Taken on strength by the 4th Division Ammunition Column at Tel-el-Kebir, on 1 May 1916 he was promoted temporary Bombardier before being transferred a fortnight later to the Artillery Training Depot. At Alexandria on 28 May 1916 he embarked on HMT Corsican for France.

On 27 Jul 1916 he was made Acting Sergeant and transferred to AIF HQ at Tidworth in England. Transferred to France, on 15 Mar 1917 he embarked from Folkestone to join the 12th Field Artillery Brigade's 47th Battery where he reverted to Gunner. However, on 29 Mar 1917 he was appointed Driver, and 10 Apr 1917 he was again promoted to Acting Bombardier.

Wounded on 18 Sep 1917 in Belgium, he was seen by the 6th Field Ambulance, and the 16th Casualty Clearing Station who placed him on the No 10 Ambulance Train for admission to the 14th Stationary Hospital in Boulogne, before being evacuated to England on 22 Sep 1917 for treatment to his wounded left thigh. In England he was admitted to the Military Hospital in Eastbourne.

On 13 Feb 1918 he was well enough to return to France and to his unit the 47th Battery which he reached on 20 Feb 1918. Prior to leaving England he had reverted to his substantive rank of Driver at his own request. Following the conclusion of hostilities, on 27 Dec 1918 he was transferred to the Army HQ Records Section, where from 6 Mar to 9 Jun 1919 he was temporary Corporal, before being granted leave with pay from 10 Jun till 10 Oct 1919, and without pay until 10 Nov 1919. Discharged by the 5th Military District on 28 Mar 1920.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1943 at 317 Fitzgerald street Northam, time keeper; 1949 at 61 Coronation street, Merredin, accountant; 1954 at 33 Carnac street, South Fremantle, no occupation; 1958 at 263 High street, Fremantle, retired; 1963 War Veterans Home, Mt Lawley.

On 31 Mar 1960 Sydney is an active member of the Fremantle sub branch of the RSL.

Notes

Never married. For enlistment he used an Armadale address.

External Links

• WAMDL - Western Australian Military Digital Library has digitised some of Sydney Welch's military records.
• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial