Charles Frederick McKay

Personal Information
Date of Birth	12 Jun 1892
Place of Birth	Mundijong, Western Australia
Death	6 May 1978, aged 85
Place of Death	Kewdale, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	23 years, 8 months
Description	5'8¼" (1.73m) tall; weight 154lbs (69.9kg); dark complexion, grey eyes, brown hair.
Occupation	labourer
Religion	Roman Catholic
Address	Mundijong, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr James McKay
Military Information
Reg Number	3890
Date of Enlistment	16 Nov 1915
Rank	Driver
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, 9th Reinforcements transferred to 51st Battalion /13th Brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	12 Feb 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A28 Miltiades
Date of Return	27 Sep 1917
Ship Returned On	HMAT A29 Suevic
Fate	Returned to Australia (Medical grounds)
Monument	Mundijong & Jarrahdale
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

A month after entering Blackboy Hill camp, Charles was allocated to the 9th reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion and travelled with them to Egypt, where as part of the expansion of the Australian forces he was posted to the 51st Battalion at Serapeum on 2 Apr 1916. Soon after he was hospitalised with Trachoma, rejoining the 51st Battalion on 21 Apr 1916.

On 5 Jun along with the rest of his unit he embarked on the HMT Ivernia in Alexandria, for Marseilles where they disembarked on 12 Jun 1916.

On 13 Sep 1916 Charles was appointed Driver. On 11 Nov 1916 he was admitted to the 25th Stationary Hospital in Rouen with mumps. Released from hospital on 1 Dec 1916 it was not until 22 Dec 1916 that he rejoined the battalion who at that time were in Vignacourt rebuilding and retraining. On 8 Jan 1917 he was again hospitalised, this time with conjunctivitis and after being seen by the 36th Casualty Clearing Station he was sent to the 5th General Hospital in Rouen on 10 Jan 1917. Evacuated to England aboard HMHS Dunluce Castle on 12 Jan from Le Havre he was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital in Wandsworth.

Released to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield on 2 May 1917 he was sent on furlough from 2nd to 17th May 1917. Returning late from his leave he was charged with being AWOL from 3:30pm 17 May to 4:00pm 18 May 1917. For which he was awarded 4 days combined to Camp, and forfeiture of 2 days pay. He was reclassified soon after at Perham Downs and the decision was made to send him back to Australia.

Discharged 5th Military District 5 Jan 1918

Post War

In 1924 Charles married Clara Margaret Risdon in Fremantle. Clara died 29 Nov 1965 aged 65 in Carlisle.

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 Mundijong, labourer; 1931 - 1949 at Canning Mills, labourer; 1954 Carinya via Karragullen, forestry worker; 1958 retired to Croyden road, Roleystone; 1963 at 95 Mars street, Carlisle; 1977 at 8 Pritchard street, Kewdale.

Notes

In some records he was Charles Frederick, while in others he was Frederick Charles.