The AIF Project

Charles Edward ROBERTS

Regimental number4252
Place of birthNagambie, Victoria
ReligionRoman Catholic
OccupationMiner
AddressCommonwealth Bank, Pass Book, 873091, Melbourne, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation31
Height5' 4.5"
Weight147 lbs
Previous military serviceNil (previously rejected on account of teeth)
Enlistment date5 August 1915
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll6 August 1915
Place of enlistmentMelbourne, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name22nd Battalion, 10th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/39/3
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A18 Wiltshire on 7 March 1916
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll59th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 19 July 1916
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsV.C. Corner (Panel No 17), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
168
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Taken on strength, 58th Bn, Ferry Post, 20 April 1916.

Transferred to 59th Bn, and taken on strength, 19 May 1916.

Found guilty, 22 May 1916, of absenting himself from 0515, 20 May, to 0400, 21 May 1916: awarded 6 days' Field Punishment No 2, 6 hours' pack drill, and automatically forfeited 2 days' pay.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 18 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916.

Posted missing, 19 July 1916.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 29 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'.

Handwritten note on Form B103: 'Presume Buried In No Man's Land approx 5J90 43 to 5K02.5.1 Sheet Hazebrouck 5A'.

Statement, Red Cross File No 2310711, 4119 Pte J.E. HOBSON, 59th Bn, 30 July 1917: 'Casualty was my mate. I met Pte. Sidney Leckie of the 59th Btn. at Perham Downs in England this year, and he told me that the above Casualty whose name we called "Charlie" was lying out in No Mans (sic) Land on the 19th July at Fleurbaix, with his leg hanging on by a bit of putty. He spoke to him and Casualty replied "I think I am done, get my water bottle." I got the water bottle and stayed beside him and the blood flowed from his nose and mouth and he spoke no more.'

Second statement, 3086 Pte W.E. LYONS, 59th Bn, 29 August 1917: 'Casualty went over theparapet on the 19th July, 1916 at Fleurbaix with me. Three of us fell wounded together, including casualty and a man named Leckie (who got back to the lines alright). We lay together near the 2nd ditch. We were all wounded by machine gun bullets. Casualty was wounded in one leg, the side of which was stripped. I spoke to him. He sang out for water. I tried to get near him but was unable owing to my wound. A 60th Btn. man whose name I did not know heard him and went to his assitance. As the 60th Btn. man handed him water, he, the 60th Btn. man was shot dead by a bullet between the eyes. Leckie started to crawl back to the lines, and as he did so I called out "Where is Robbie" and he replied "He is dead."'

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, ROBERTS Charles Edward
Red Cross File No 2310711

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