Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Charles Henry Smith went off to war and never came back but his story is probably much the same as all the other soldiers who didn’t return to Australia. When he first tried to join up he was rejected on the grounds of poor eyesight. But this did not deter him and he was passed by the Eye Board and enlisted on 23rd February 1916.
After training at Royal Park, Broadmeadows and Bendigo he finally embarked on the HMAT Shropshire for England on the 25th September 1916 as an Acting Sergeant, 5th Reinforcements, 60th Infantry Battalion. They arrived at Plymouth on 11th November 1916 and completed further training at Hurdcott before being sent to France from Folkestone on the Princess Clementine on 31st December 1916.
They landed on 6th February 1917 at Etaples and were marched out to the unit on 17th February 1917 were he was promoted to Sergeant two days later. On the 23rd February the 60th Battalion was taken on strength.
By 18th May 1917 Charles had been wounded in action by shell gas and repatriated back to England on the Stud Antwerpen on 4th June 1917. He spent just under two weeks recovering at the 1st London General Hospital and was placed on furlough from 22nd June until 5th September having to report to the depot at Weymouth.
During his time in England he met up with his younger brother George John Smith and had they had their photo taken in uniform, as attached.
Over the next two months Charles was marched in from London and Hurdcott completing various training to proceed back to France from Southampton to Harve on the 11th November 1917. (exactly 12 months since he first landed in England from Australia).
Within three days he had re-joined the 60th Infantry Battalion and on the 15th March he was killed in action while on duty in the front line by a shell in the Olga trench near Kemmel at the Polka Estaminet Messines Ridge.
Charles was buried at Torreken Farm (plot 1 row F).