Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

UNIT NUMBER 7225 Born in England in 1888 to a Birmingham family, Charles Eley along with parents Charles Snr and Elizabeth, and three sisters, arrived in Australia at the end of January 1908 to take up an Australian Government offer of farming land here in Margaret River. Father Charles bought several hundred acres of land at Calgardup, and established a large market garden business which supplied the Margaret River township and area with fresh vegetables. Charles worked at various jobs: rebuilding the new staircase at Lakes Caves where he and the local cave guide camped out in the bush for several weeks, and in April through August 1914, Charles was the teacher at the local Trinders’ school in Margaret River. Early in 1915 Charles went to Perth to attend the Claremont Teachers College and was teaching in Perth and living at Claremont. Taking a trip down to the enlistment office in Fremantle early in July 1916, Charles signed up for the army. His time at the Blackboy Hill Army Camp was considerably longer than most. Spending five and a half months there, it wasn’t until the end of January 1917 that Charles embarked for war aboard HMAT A28 “Miltiades”, headed for Devonport in England. Here he stayed with 4th Training Battalion at Codford for three and a half months. Transferred to the 28th Battalion, 24th Reinforcements in France in July 1917, Charles would have been involved in the fighting around Ypres, but after three weeks in the trenches, Charles was sent to perform traffic control duties for the 4th Brigade, until the end of October, whereupon he rejoined the 16th in Flanders for the Battle of Messines. April 1918 found Charles again on traffic control duties and it was here that he suffered being hit with mortar shell fragments. Wounded to the left thigh, buttock and ankle, he received treatment at the 4th Australian Field Ambulance Station and was shipped back to the South African Military Hospital in Richmond, England. He recuperated at the 1st Auxillary Hospital and was discharged from there in August to the army camp at Weymouth. His repatriation back to Australia had been arranged, but the army granted him non military employment from April15 1919 to November 30 of that year. He received pay during this period and attended the London Day Training College to extend his teachers training. The fee for the course was ten pounds, and during his time there, Charles was given the rank of temporary sergeant. The college offered instruction in education, general method in English, and university lectures in philosophy and psychology. Charles’s report of November 3 1919 stated that he had attended all of these courses. By the end of the first week of December 1919, Charles was aboard the ship “Borda” and on his way home. He was discharged at the rank of sergeant. Life resumed in much the same way. Teaching at the Brookhampton School in Perth and living at 48 Carnac Street, Fremantle, Charles was not to enjoy longevity post war. Eighteen months after his discharge, Charles was seriously ill. He died of bowel cancer on July 24 1921. He was buried the following day at the Church of England Cemetery at Fremantle. Charles was aged 33 and was unmarried. 1914/15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal