HAY, Charles William
| Service Number: | 11330 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 February 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 49th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, 11 July 1895 |
| Home Town: | Rockhampton, Rockhampton, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Baker |
| Memorials: | Evelyn Scrub War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 11330, 11th to 15th Depot Unit of Supply | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 11330, 11th to 15th Depot Unit of Supply, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Demosthenes embarkation_ship_number: A64 public_note: '' | |
| 18 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 11330, 11th to 15th Depot Unit of Supply, HMAT Demosthenes, Sydney | |
| 28 Jul 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 49th Infantry Battalion | |
| 26 Sep 1917: | Honoured Military Medal, Polygon Wood |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Charles William Hay enlisted with the 11th Depot Unit of Supply, and arrived in France during November 1916. He transferred to the 49th Battalion just after his younger brother 3193 Pte. John Cooper Hay 49th Battalion arrived in France. John died of wounds on 13 October 1917, aged 19.
Charles William Hay was awarded a Military Medal, “In the advance on the Passchendaele Ridge, north east of Ypres, 26th September, 1917, he carried out the duties of a runner, carrying messages from Company to Battalion Headquarters, in the face of heavy artillery and machine gun fire, at all times. He was conspicuous for his bravery and devotion to duty.”
Charles was hit by shrapnel in the knee on 11 October 1917 and evacuated to England to recover. He was in hospital for some months and was then posted to training units at Codford in England. Somehow, he managed to get married in Aberdeen, Scotland on 11 July 1918, to 20-year-old Jessie Ann Hunter, who was a native of Aberdeen.
Charles returned to Australia, with his new wife, on 23 July 1919. Little trace of him can be found after the war, but it is believed he may have gone to South Africa.