Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Seymour Nigel Alwyn Charlesworth was born in Norwood, South Australia, to parents James Basil Everard Charlesworth and Elizabeth Jane Mankind in 1897. He lived alone at 3 Threlfall Avenue, Norwood, South Australia. Before enlisting for war, Seymour’s occupation was as a French polisher. His religion was the Church of Christ.

As the war went on and death rates increased, there was a decline in the number of men volunteering to enlist. Despite this, Charlesworth enlisted as an Acting Corporal on the 6th of August in 1915, aged 18 and 10 months. He was well-built with a medium complexion.

Charlesworth embarked on board the HMAT Medic A7 from Adelaide, on the 12th of January, 1915, before arriving in Egypt around 6 months later in August. He was a part of the 27th Infantry Battalion in the 1st – 8th Reinforcements (May 1915 – January 1916).

The 27th Infantry Battalion was the second of the predominantly South Australian Battalions to be raised in World War 1. Lieutenant Colonel Walter Dollman VD was appointed the role of Commanding Officer. They embarked on the HMAT Geelong on the 31st of May 1915, headed for Egypt where further training was to be held. The Battalion landed at Gallipoli where they remained until the evacuation in December. 

Seymour Nigel Alwyn Charlesworth was part of the first Australian troops in the front line on Somme. The Battalion committed to the fighting near Pozieres accompanied with the First, Second and Fourth division. On the 4th of August 1916, they launched an attack aimed at the heights above Pozieres. They captured the land above the heights of Pozieres and held it. On the 4th of August 1916, Charlesworth received shrapnel wounds to the elbow and back. He was admitted to hospital on the 6th of August. He then left the hospital on the 12th of August 1916.

The 27th Battalion had barely anytime to rest because they were then called into the second phase of the battle near Mouquet Farm. Up until the 9th of September, they moved from camp to camp on foot, unless they were injured. The Battalion remained in Steenvorde, France until the 5th of October when they got on a train with the rest of the Brigade for Ypres. They then remained there until they got taken over by the 25th Battalion on the 12th of October. In early November, they were involved in the battle at Fleurs, which is located just south east of Pozieres.

The first Fleurs attack was launched on the 5th of November, with the 1st Brigade attacking a group of trenches knows as “The Maze”. Another attack was then launched against the Maze by the 5th and 7th Brigades on the morning of the 17th of November, they also succeeded in capturing a portion of the German trenches. The 27th Battalion lost 5 Officers and 72 Other Ranks killed. A further 5 Officers and 136 Other Ranks were wounded. 75 were listed as missing in action. Many have no known grave.

On the 25th of January, Charlesworth was entitled to 3 blue stripes, which was a privilege. Seymour Nigel Alwyn Charlesworth married an English woman on the 17th of April, 1918.

Charlesworth return to Australia from the World War 1 in Gallipoli on the 4th of July of 1919. Seymour Nigel Alwyn Charlesworth died in 1959 at the age of 63. He is buried in the Adelaide West Terrace General Cemetery.