Charles Blunt

Charles E Blunt

Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown
Place of Birth	Adelaide, South Australia
Death	21 Feb 1973, aged 79
Place of Death	Bunbury, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	22 years, 4 months
Description	5' 5½" (1.65m) tall; weight 110 lbs (49.9kg); fresh complexion, grey eyes, and brown hair
Occupation	survey hand
Religion	Church of England
Address	NOK Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother Mrs Jessie Isabel Blunt
Military Information
Reg Number	2202 and 2626
Date of Enlistment	20 Oct 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	10th Light Horse Regiment, 14th Reinforcement (2002)
Unit/Formation	51st Battalion, 6th Reinforcement (2626)
Date of Embarkation	13 Oct 1916 - 2 Dec 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A23 Suffolk
Date of Return	24 Jan 1919 - 28 Feb 1919
Ship Returned On	HMHS Delta
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	none at present
Medals	British War Medal Victory medal

War Service

Initial service was from 20 Oct 1915 to 3 May 1916 as part of 16th reinforcement for the 10th Light Horse. However, he was discharged for AWOL offences. While his records show him embarking on the HMAT A69 Warilda on 16 Feb 1916, there is no other entry to suggest he reached Egypt before being sent home. Discharged AWOL on 3 May 1916.

Re - enlisted and was posted to infantry. On the voyage to England, and while in training units, he runs afoul of authority on at least five occasions. He also manages several visits to hospital including the 1st Dermatological Hospital at Bulford.

He finally makes it to the 51st Battalion on 15 July 1917. He was with the battalion through the Third Battle for Ypres and the 1917/18 winter in the trenches.

In March of 1918 he sought medical attention, first with the 13th Field Ambulance, then the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station, and 56th General Hospital at Étaples before boarding HMHS Newhaven on 26 Mar 1918 for England where he was admitted to the Brook War Hospital in England with "trench fever". He is invalided home, but not before he manages at least one more clash with authority, going AWOL from 9 Jan 1919 till 14 Jan 1919. Discharged 5th Military District on 7 July 1919.

Post War

Married Ethel Maude Gaisford in 1921. Ethel died 21 Nov 1992, aged 93.

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 Ethel was at 139 Gloster street, West Subiaco; and from 1929 - 1963 they are both living at 159 Gloster street, with Charles working as a survey hand. In 1968 - 1972 they had retired to Jubilee road, Glen Iris near Bunbury. From 1977 - 1980 Ethel remained at Jubilee road.

Son Vivian Charles born on 28 Mar 1922. He was to be Killed in Action at Tarakan on 15 Jun 1945, aged 23 (WX38797). Son Malcolm E...born 5 Jan 1925; daughter Rona M born 1931