Colin Edmund Alleyne CHALMERS

CHALMERS, Colin Edmund Alleyne

Service Number: 4922
Enlisted: 23 August 1915, Holsworthy, New South Wales
Last Rank: Second Lieutenant
Last Unit: 52nd Infantry Battalion
Born: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia , 20 May 1882
Home Town: Bellerive, Clarence, Tasmania
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Accountant
Died: Killed In Action, Belgium, 7 June 1917, aged 35 years
Cemetery: Derry House Cemetery No.2
Plot I, Row B, Grave 22
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Church of St Martins (Essex), Clarence Honour Roll, Hobart Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

23 Aug 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4922, Holsworthy, New South Wales
18 Feb 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4922, 12th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: ''
18 Feb 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4922, 12th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Melbourne
19 Apr 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 52nd Infantry Battalion
28 Sep 1916: Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 52nd Infantry Battalion
28 Mar 1917: Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 52nd Infantry Battalion
7 Jun 1917: Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 52nd Infantry Battalion, Battle of Messines, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Second Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1917-06-07

Help us honour Colin Edmund Alleyne Chalmers's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Julianne Ryan

born at St Georges, Hobart

Father Edmund Alleyne Chalmers and Mother Rosalie Chalmers (nee Walker), of Bellerive, Tasmania.

Siblings:
Henry Edgar Chalmers  (b. 01/07/1878 in Brighton, TAS - d. 28/04/1880 TAS)
Clare Alleyne Chalmers  (b. 30/07/1880 in Hobart, TAS)
Allan Alleyne Chalmers   (b. 31/12/1883 in Hobart, TAS)
Elayne Mary Chalmers  (b. 27/05/1886 in Hobart, TAS - d. 21/09/1962 in Hobart, TAS)
Jean Alleyne Chalmers  (b. 21/07/1891 in Hobart, TAS - d. 26/12/1977 in Hobart, TAS)

Arabella Alleyne (d. 1762) did marry the Rev. James Chalmers, Rector of Little Waltham (and the Alleynes of Hatfield Peverel and Little Leighs did historically own property in Little Waltham)

Described on enlisting as 33 years 3 months of age; single;   6' tall; 146 lbs;
fresh complexion; blue eyes; light brown hair; Church of England

23/08/1915   enlisted at Holdsworthy, NSW 

12/01/1916   appointed to 12th Infantry Battalion, Claremount Camp, Tasmania

18/02/1916   embarked Port of Melbourne onboard A70 Ballarat
                    as a Private with the 15th Reinforcements, 12th Battalion

19/04/1916   promoted Lance Corporal
                    taken on strength of 52nd Infantry Battalion, Serapeum - serving in Egypt

21/04/1916   transferred to the 52nd Infantry Battalion

05/06/1916   proceeded to join British Expeditionary Forces, ex Alexandria
                    embarked onboard HMAT Ivernia
12/06/1916   disembarked into Marseilles, France

20/06/1916   attached to 27th Australian ASC

28/09/1916   promoted to Corporal

Chalmers re-joined the 52nd, before being transferred in November 1916 to the UK (Balliol College, Oxford) for officer training

28/03/1917   promoted to 2nd Lieutenant
                    posted to General Infantry reinforcements, England

17/04/1917   proceeded overseas to France, ex Tidsworth
19/04/1917   marched into Etaples, France

20/04/1917   taken on strength 52nd Infantry Battalion

20/04/1917   taken on the strength of the 52nd Battalion again

07/06/1917   killed in action
                    his body being found on the 23/07/1917, when the 11th Royal Warwickshire
                    Regiment took over some trenches

his body was buried in
                   Gun Farm Cemetery No. 2, 4 miles SE of Wytschaete, ¾ miles N of Messines

buried in:      Derry House Cemetery No. 2, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
                    Plot I, Row B, Grave 22

His name is commemorated on panel   at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT.

His name is also commemorated on the WWI Honour Board at the Church of St Martins,
Essex, England.

Medals:         British War medal (32423), Victory medal (32195),
                    Memorial Plaque and Scroll (356879)

Submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  22/02/2017.   Lest we forget.

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Biography contributed by Julianne Ryan

Relatives in service:

2nd Lieutenant  Edward Lionel Austin Butler – 12th Australian Infantry Battalion
Father Edward Butler and Fanny BUTLER, lived at Sandy Bay, Tasmania
02/08/1915  enlisted (32 years of age)
29/03/1916  embarked Port of Melbourne, VIC onboard RMS Orontes
                   as a 2nd Lieutenant with 12th Infantry Battalion, 16th reinforcements
23/08/1916  Multiple shell wounds to legs, lost right leg, received in action - died of wounds
                   at Mouquet Farm, France
buried in:     Puchevillers British Cemetery, France
                   Plot III, Row A, Grave 10

1590 2nd Lieutenant Brian Nairn Butler – 12th Infantry Battalion
14/12/1914  enlisted (22 years of age)
19/02/1915  embarked Port of Melbourne, VIC onboard HMAT A54 Runic
                   as a Private with 12th Infantry Battalion, 3rd reinforcements
18/09/1918  killed in action
buried in:     Jeancourt Communal Cemetery Extension, France
                   Plot III, Row B, Grave 5

Lte Colonel  Harry Nairn Butler MID, DSO - Australian Army Medical Corps
-- brother of 2nd Lte Brian Nairn Butler --

21/08/1914  enlisted (28 years of age)  - b. 31/03/1886
02/11/1914  embarked Hobart, TAS onboard HMAT A13 Katuna
                   as a Major with 3rd Field Ambulance C Squadron
04/05/1917  Returned to Australia
22/02/1955  passed away
cemated in: Cornelian Bay Cemetery & Crematorium, TAS
                  Derwent Gardens                                                                                                                       

Major  John Willoughby Butler Bean – Australian Army Medical Corps
20/06/1914  enlisted (34 years of age) – b. 01/01/1881
20/10/1914  embarked Sydney, NSW onboard HMAT A14 Euripides
                  as Captain with 3rd Infantry Battalion, Headquarters
05/09/1915  promoted to Major
23/10/1918  Returned to Australia
30/04/1919  discharged from service
1969            passed away in St Leonards, NSW

Captain Charles Edwin Wodrow Bean (Official WWI Correspondent)
-- brother of Major John Willoughby Butler Bean --
28/09/1914  enlisted in 1st Division Headquarters
21/10/1914  embarked Port of Melbourne, VIC onboard HMAT A3 Oriveto
                   as Press Corresonpdent, 1st Australian Division, Headquarters
01/04/1919  Returned to Australia onboard HT Kildonian Castle
30/06/1919  discharged from service
January 1921  Bean married Ethel Clara Young
Worked as Official Historian, writing the Official History of Australia at War 1914-1918 at
Tuggeranong Homestead
30/08/1968  Passed away at the Concord Repat Hospital, Concord, NSW

59/546 Captain Arthur Mainwaring Maxwell, MID, DSO MC – 52nd Infantry Battalion
24/09/1914    enlisted in Sydney, NSW (26 years of age) – b. 8/6/1888 Hobart, TAS
21/12/1914    embarked Sydney, NSW onboard HMAT A29 Suevic
                     as a Corporal with 6th Light Horse Regiment, A Squadron
09/05/1915    proceeded to Gallipoli
20/05/1915    promoted to Corporal – 3rd Light Horse Regiment
14/03/1916    taken on strength 52nd Infantry Battalion
17/03/1916    promoted to 2nd Lieutenant 52nd Infantry Battalion
17/06/1916    promoted to Lieutenant
14/11/1916    Awarded MILITARY CROSS
18/04/1917    promoted to Captain 52nd Infantry Battalion
25/08/1917    Awarded DSO
28/12/1917    Awarded MID – London Gazette
16/05/1918    taken on strength to 51st Infantry Battalion
25/05/1918    attached to 12th Inf Brigade, HQ
19/08/1918    attached to 1st Div, HQ
16/06/1919    Returned to Australia onboard HT Ormonde
11/07/1919    Awarded MID – London Gazette
Married:        Marion Grey Wemyss Maxwell  (d. 4/11/1970)
Children:       Sally, Meg and Bill Maxwell
17/06/1966    passed away
Cremated –   St Simon and St Judes Cemetery, Bowral NSW
                    Columbarium 1 section

447 Captain Duncan Struan Maxwell MC – 51st Infantry Battalion  
-- brother of Captain Arthur Mainwaring Maxwell --

19/08/1914  enlisted (22 years of age)  - b. 08/01/1892
20/10/1914  embarked Tasmania onboard HMAT A2 Geelong
                   as a Private with 3rd Light Horse Regiment, C Squadron
09/05/1915  proceeded to Gallipoli, ANZAC
03/12/1915  promoted to Lance Corporal – 3rd Light Horse Regiment
17/03/1916  promoted to 2nd Lieutenant – 52nd Infantry Battalion
17/06/1916  promoted to Lieutenant
14/11/1916  Awarded MILITARY CROSS – London Gazette
01/04/1917  taken on strength 4th Div, HQ
21/06/1917  promoted to Captain – 52nd Infantry Battalion
16/05/1918  transferred to 51st Infantry Battalion
31/07/1918  Returned to Australia onboard HT D17 Malta
02/12/1919  discharged from service

1921  Bachelor of Medicine – University of Sydney, NSW

Interwar Service
09/07/1927 Captain – Reserve of Officers
14/08/1939  Major  – Reserve of Officers – 56th Infantry Battalion
25/11/1939  Commanding Officer – 56th Infantry Battalion

Married:   Marion Wistie Sly   (b.30/06/1888 Torrington Rd, Strathfield, NSW)
Marion's parents - Richard Meares Sly and Constance Adelaide Sly (nee Mullens)
25/03/1969  Marion passed away in Sydney, New South Wales

WWII  -  NX12610 - Brigadier Duncan Struan Maxwell MC - 27th Inf Brigade, HQ
01/06/1940  re-enlisted into WWII at Cootamundra, NSW (48 yrs 5mths)
01/07/1940  promoted to Lte-Colonel - 2/19th Infantry Battalion
26/07/1940  taken on strength 2/19th Infantry Battalion
03/02/1941  embarked HMT Queen Mary
18/02/1941  disembarked into Singapore
01/08/1941  promoted to Brigadier – HQ AIF Malaya
01/08/1941  appointed to Command 27th Australian Infantry Brigade
21/11/1941   promoted to Colonel
15/02/1942  taken POW – Singapore Island
18/03/1942   admitted to Australian General Hospital
28/11/1942   embarked Singapore for Japan
28/04/1943   POW – Taiwan Camp
14/10/1944   POW – now interned in  Hoten Camp, China
27/09/1945   Returned to Australia – Brigadier 27th Inf Brigade, HQ
03/09/1946  discharged from service
04/09/1946  Retired – honourary  Brigadier

21/12/1969  passed away in Chatswood, NSW

Submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  06/03/2017.  Lest we forget.

Read more...