Charles Kelly
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | c1897 |
| Place of Birth | Cannington, Western Australia |
| Age at Enlistment | 18 years, 7 months |
| Description |
5'9" (1.75m) tall ; 155lbs 70.307 kg ; fresh complexion ; grey eyes ; dark brown hair |
| Occupation | Labourer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | East Cannington, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Father , Mr Thomas Kelly |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 5733 |
| Date of Enlistment | 9 Mar 1916 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit/Formation | 11th Battalion, 18th Reinforcement, transferred to 44th Battalion |
| Date of Embarkation | 15 Jul 1916 ‒ 1 Sep 1916 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A31 Ajana |
| Date of Return | 5 Jun 1919 ‒ 8 Jul 1919 |
| Ship Returned On | SS Somali embarked 1 Jun 1919 |
| Fate |
Wounded in action 6 Aug 1918 Returned to Australia |
| Monument | none as yet |
| Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medal |
Pre War
War Service
Entered camp on 9 Mar 1916 and after basic drill training he was allocated to the 18th reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion on 4 Apr 1916 travelling with them to England aboard HMAT A31 Ajana. On arrival in England on 1 Sep 1916, he was posted to the 3rd Training Battalion, and on 23 Sep 1916 he was transferred from the reinforcements to the 44th Battalion, continuing his training with them until he proceeded overseas on 25 Nov 1916 through Southampton. Before going overseas, he was charged with being AWOL from midnight 9 Nov to 9pm 16 Nov 1916. For this he was awarded 7 days Field Punishment No. 2, and he also forfeited 14 day's pay.
On 6 Aug 1918 Charles was wounded in action with a gunshot wound to the chest. Treated by the 11th Field Ambulance and passed to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station the same day, he was admitted to the 11th Stationary Hospital in Rouen on 7 Aug 1918. On 9 Aug 1918 he was released to the 2nd Convalescent Depot, and then on 12 Aug 1918 to the 11th Convalescent Depot. On 2 Oct 1918 he returned to duty, and rejoined his battalion the following day.
Charles was granted UK leave from 1 - 15 Jan 1919, rejoining his unit late on 20 Jan 1919. The next day he was charged with being AWOL from 6:00am 15 Jan 1919 until 6:00am on 18 Jan 1919. He was awarded 7 days Field Punishment No 2, and forfeited 10 day's pay. In late April he returned to England and soon after was on his way home to Australia where he was discharged by the 5th Military District on 22 Aug 1919.
Post War
On 15 Mar 1945 Charles wrote from a Welshpool road address to the Central Army Records Office requesting the medals that he had earned during WW1.
Notes