ALEXANDER, Charles Beresford
| Service Number: | 293 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 August 1914, Warwick, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Milbong, Queensland, 8 June 1886 |
| Home Town: | Greymare, Southern Downs, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Toolburra South State School |
| Occupation: | Grazier |
| Died: | Died of Illness (Pneumonia), Cairo, Egypt, 7 April 1915, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
Cairo War Memorial Cemetery Row B, Grave 205, Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Cairo, Egypt |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Greymare & District Honor Roll, Ipswich Men and Women of Ipswich WW1 Roll of Honour, Warwick War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 293, Warwick, Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 293, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 24 Sep 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 293, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Star of England, Brisbane | |
| 7 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 293, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 293 awm_unit: 2nd Australian Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1915-04-07 |
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When World War One was declared the appeals for men met with a ready response. Men representing every walk of life rolled up. Most had had service or were serving, in the C.M.F. (note: i.e. Commonwealth Military Forces, some had previous active service, some were discharged Imperial soldiers, some had no training whatever)."
It is evident from this that Charles was one who;
a) "met with a ready response" - he enlisted on 24th August, 1914. Australia only declared war on Germany on 4th August, 1914.
b) was "serving, in the C.M.F." i.e. he served with the 14th Australian Light Horse (Darling Downs Regiment) where he attained the rank of Lieutenant. Eleven Officers, holding commissions in the Commonwealth Military Forces (C.M.F.), but for whom there were, at the time, no vacancies in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.), relinquished their commissions temporarily and joined as privates, in order to have the honour of being in the First Expeditionary Force.
This appears to also apply to Charles, who;
a) was ranked a Lieutenant in the 14th Australian Light Horse Regiment (Darling Downs Regiment)
b) but later ranked as a Trooper (i.e. Private) in the 2nd Australian Light Horse Regiment
"WARWICK SOLDIER DEAD. TROOPER C. ALEXANDER IN EGYPT FROM PNEUMONIA.
News was received in Warwick on Saturday last of the death ot Trooper Charles Beresford Alexander, at Heliopolis, Egypt, from pneumonia, on the 7th April. Last week a cable announced that Alexander was seriously ill, and when the sad tidings of his demise were received, the Rev. W. P. Glover broke the news to Mrs. Alexander, who is the teacher at the Greymare State School. Trooper Alexander was one of the first to volunteer for active service in this district, and joined the Light Horse Regiment, and left with the first lot for Egypt. He always took a keen interest in military matters, and was a member of the Warwick A.L.H., and later of the Pratten Troop. For a number of years he acted as secretary to the Greymare Sports Club, and when residing in Warwick was employed as a clerk with Denham Bros., when that firm conducted business here. His wide circle of friends, while deploring his demise, will always revere his name on the roll ol honour for giving his life for his King and country." - from the Warwick Examiner and Times 12 Apr 1915 (nla.gov.au)
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