The AIF Project

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Allotted to, and proceeded to 59th Bn from 2nd Training Bn, Zeitoun, 26 February 1916; taken on strength of 59th Bn, Tel el Kebir, 26 February 1916.

Detached to School of Instruction, 29 March 1916; rejoined unit, Ferry Post, 13 April 1916.

Absorbed into strength of Battalion, Duntroon Plateau, 30 April 1916.

Daily Order No.1, sub-paragraph 489 now, 5 May 1916, should read, 'reinforcement Officer not yet absorbed'.

Promoted Lieutenant to complete establishment, Moascar, 1 June 1916.

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

Posted missing and placed on the Seconded List, 19 July 1916.

Now, 16 December 1916, ruled as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916', on the authority of the Assistant Adjutant General and on a statement of evidence by Lieutenant-Colonel C.A. Denehy, Commanding Officer, 59th Bn.

Statement, Red Cross File No 690905, 4823 Pte W.J. LONG, 59th Bn (patient, 2nd Northern General Hospital, Leeds, England), 3 August 1916: 'Informant states that on July 19th Lieut Carr was wounded in making a charge. Informant was also wounded and lying alongside of him. Lieut Carr put his gas helmet on and was dead by the morning of the 20th, when Informant tried to raise him up he found he was dead. About 9.30 he put his helmet on and it was morning when Informant found he had died.'

Second statement, 2nd Lt J.D. HADDOW, 59th Bn (patient, 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England), 8 August 1916: 'Informant states that on 3rd August 1916 at Wandsworth Hospital, Cpl W. O'Shea of Battalion Grenadiers, 59th Batt. told me that on the evening of 19th July 1916, while crossing "No Man's Land["] at Fromelles, he saw Lieut Carr who was in charge of Grenadier party fall, shot through the head.'

Third statement, 3598 Pte L. Ashton OAKLEY, 59th Bn (patient, 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England), 15 August 1916: 'Informant states that on July 19th 1916 Lt. Carr was shot through the head just outside the first line of German trenches and killed about 6 o'clock p.m. Cpl. Fynch 1707, A. Coy., 59th A.I.F., who was wounded in the right leg by a shell met Informant at H.Q. dressing station at Sailly on the morning of July 20th and told him he saw Lt. Carr killed.'

Fourth statement, 2843 Sergeant S.J. HUMPHRIES, Machine Gun Section, 59th Bn, 24 August 1916: 'I saw him lying in front of me near the German parapet after the charge on July 19th at Fleurbaix. A L/Cpl. whose name I do not know remarked to me "There's little Carr's body". I could not see his features, but was satisfied as to his identity [as] I was only two or three feet away from him. I lay there for some time, wounded, near his body. He was quite dead.'

Fifth statement, 1707 Corporal R.A. FYNCH, 59th Bn, 21 November 1916: 'I saw him get shot in the right side of the head just near the ear, and he appeared to me to be mortally wounded. I came alongside him just a few yards off the German trenches and spoke to him, but he did not answer. I believed him to be dead. The shell, and machine gun fire[,] was so fierce that I seemed quite dazed and after advancing a few yards I got wounded in both legs with shrapnel and I had to remain quite still because I was being sniped at. When it was dark I tried to find my officer [CARR] but failed to do so.'