GILLESPIE, Charles
| Service Number: | 25 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 February 1916, Melbourne, Vic. |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Divisional Train |
| Born: | Clunes, Victoria, Australia, 3 February 1898 |
| Home Town: | Clunes, Hepburn, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | 1 April 1988, aged 90 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Skipton Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Clunes Soldiers Pictorial Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 25, 37th Infantry Battalion, Melbourne, Vic. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Driver, 37th Infantry Battalion, Melbourne, Vic. | |
| 3 Jun 1916: | Involvement Driver, 25, 37th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Persic embarkation_ship_number: A34 public_note: '' | |
| 3 Jun 1916: | Embarked Driver, 25, 37th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Persic, Melbourne | |
| 7 Jun 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Driver, 25, 37th Infantry Battalion, Battle of Messines | |
| 4 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Driver, 25, 37th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres | |
| 5 Apr 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Driver, 25, 37th Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918, Multiple SW to thigh, arm and shoulder sustained around Morlancourt. Evacuated to UK. Rejoined unit 4 October 1918. | |
| 12 Oct 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, 3rd Divisional Train, France | |
| 6 Feb 1920: | Discharged AIF WW1, Driver, 25, 3rd Divisional Train, RTA 1 November 1919 and discharged (TPE). |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Wight
Brother: 1418 Pte William GILLESPIE, Australian Flying Corps, returned to Australia, 10 April 1919
Biography contributed by Robert Wight
Charles Gillespie, aged 18, enlisted in the AIF at Melbourne on 9 February 1916. He was promoted to Driver while still in camp and embarked overseas on 3 June 1916. He arrived in England on 25 July 1916, where he spent the next four months training on Salisbury Plain.
He left England and arrived in France on 23 November 1916, where he spent the winter in the Armentieres area. His battalion moved north to Belgium and was involved in the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917, and then Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele in October 1917.
Following the German Spring Offensive in March 1918, the battalion was rushed south to the Somme and was involved in the allied defences around Morlancourt. It was near here that Driver Gillespie received multiple shrapnel wounds to his thigh, arm and shoulder on 5 April 1918. He was evacuated to England and spent the next four months in hospital.
He finally re-joined his battalion in France on 4 October 1918, however a week later was transferred to the 3rd Divisional Train (a supply unit). He returned to England on 26 May 1919 and spent the next four months working in the AIF Depot at Park House, Wiltshire.
He embarked for Australia on 1 November 1919 and arrived back in Melbourne on 15 December, where he was formally discharged from the AIF on 6 February 1920.
Source: Extract from "Clunes Soldiers Memorial Panel" by Robert Wight, June 2022.
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