Charles Gorringe

Charles Gorringe

Western Mail 16 Jul 1915 page 45
Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1877
Place of Birth	Worth, near Blindley, Sussex, England
Death	25 Jul 1953, aged 76
Place of Death	Claremont, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	38 years old
Description	5'9¾" (1.77m) tall ; 167lbs 75.75 kg ; fair complexion ; blue eyes ; fair hair ; tattoos on arm and back of wrists
Occupation	Farmer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Kenwick, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs Elizabeth Jane Gorringe
Military Information
Reg Number	277
Date of Enlistment	20 Oct 1914
Rank	Trooper
Unit/Formation	A Troop, B Squadron, 10th Light Horse Regiment
Date of Embarkation	8 Feb 1915 ‒ 9 Mar 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A47 Mashobra
Date of Return	13 Feb 1917 ‒ 12 Apr 1917
Ship Returned On	HMAT A38 Ulysses
Fate	WIA 16 Jun 1915 Gallipoli WIA 5 Nov 1916 Gueudecourt Returned to Australia
Monument	none at present
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

In England had served for 12 years with the 10th Regiment of Hussars. The family comprising Charles (36), Elizabeth (36), Fred (9), Reggie (7), Leslie (4), Marjorie (1) emigrated to Australia aboard the SS Belgic in July 1913 from Liverpool. Charles was listed as a farmer.

Electoral Roll entry for 1916 Yale road, Kenwick, labourer.

War Service

An original member of the 10th Light Horse he trained in Western Australia before travelling to Egypt with his unit. Following further training in Egypt it was decided to use the Light Horsemen as Infantry support given the heavy casualties then being experienced at Gallipoli.

At 10:00pm on 15 May 1915 Charles and the rest of the Light Horse members that were going to Gallipoli as infantry boarded trains for Alexandria, where nearly 3,000 men boarded the capture German ship SS Lutzow later known as HMT Huntsend.

On 16 Jun 1915 Charles received a shrapnel wound to his mouth and was evacuated aboard HMT Galeka to Alexandria from where he was railed to Heliopolis and was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital on 20 Jun 1915. Released to the Australian & New Zealand Convalescent Hospital at Helouan on 28 Jun 1915, he was soon back with his unit at Gallipoli.

On 7 Oct 1915 Charles was ill with diarrhoea and was evacuated to Mudros on 9 Oct 1915. No better, on 14 Oct 1915 he was evacuated to Malta aboard HMHS Formosa where he entered the Military Hospital in Valetta. On 21 Oct 1915 it was felt that he needed treatment in England for rheumatism, and he was embarked on HS Regina D'Italia. On 29 Oct 1915 Charles was admitted to the King George Hospital in Stamford. On 17 Mar 1916 he was discharged from hospital and enjoyed 10 day's furlough before reporting to a base unit.

On 28 Jun 1916 Charles moved from Monte Video to Perham Downs before being transferred to the 28th Battalion from the 10th Light Horse Regiment on 6 Sep 1916 at Parkhouse.

Charles proceeded overseas to France on 14 Oct 1916, and a fortnight later he joined the battalion and was taken on strength by them. Almost immediately he was involved in the first of two Australian attempts to attack a salient in the front line near Gueudecourt known as The Maze. On 5 Nov 1916 Charles was wounded with a gun shot wound to the left knee. Seen by the 5th Australian Field Ambulance, he was placed on the 27th Ambulance Train by the 36th Casualty Clearing Station admitted to the 6th General Hospital in Rouen on 6 Nov 1916 and evacuated to England on 8 Nov 1916 aboard HMHS Western Australia (reportedly with a shell wound to the right thigh).

In England he was admitted to the 2nd Southern General Hospital on 9 Nov 1916, before being released to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital on 15 Nov 1916. Released by them to furlough on 18 Nov 1916, he reported to No 2 Command Depot in Weymouth on 7 Dec 1916, and soon after was embarked for Australia from Plymouth for five months change on the basis of rheumatism and debility.

Discharged by the 5th Military District on 7 Jun 1917 on medical grounds.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries: 1925 Cosy creek, via Bridgetown, farmer; 1928 - 1943 Station street, East Cannington , no occupation; 1949 at 26 Forrest street, South Perth.

On 20 Jun 1918 Charles was awarded a pension of 20/- per fortnight; Elizabeth 10/- pf; son Frederick 6/6d pf; son Reginald 5/- pf; son Leslie Albert Victor 3/3d pf; daughter Elsie Maud Louisa 3/3d pf. Total payments 48/- or £2/8/0 ($4.80 pf).