Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Private Charles Lemmich was a soldier and a signaller in the First World War for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. He lived in South Australia before and after his service in the war and his family also lived and still lives here and in New South Wales. He was part of the 10th Battalion and was involved in the Gallipoli landing and the battles fought there until late September of 1915 (he was there for about 5 months). He was sent back to Egypt in August due to sickness he then re-joined his battalion until October but was taken to hospital due to influenza and was sent home to Australia in December of 1915. He then joined the battalion again in July 1916. He was in the Battle of the Somme and the Third Battle of Ypres. He was wounded and sent to England in late 1917 and stayed in the 10th battalion until January of 1918 after which he was sent home for good. He was taken to hospital many times due to fever, sickness or injuries sustained in battle. He left a lot of the violence and hard times out of his letters so I am not sure how accurate his letters were.

Charles Lemmich

Charles Lemmich was born on the 29th of September, 1896 in Gawler. His father, Charles Hans Lemmich, was born in 1870 and married Alice O’Leary in 1894. His mother was born in 1877.

Charles Hans Lemmich died on 17 December 1947 at the age of 77. Alice O`Leary died on 14 November 1971 at the age of 94, and was buried there. Charles had 4 other brothers and sisters.

Charles was 19 years old when he volunteered to fight in world war one and was 21 years old when he returned home. He did not fight in WW2. He had three daughters, named Kathleen Lemmich, Joy Lemmich and Molly Lemmich. He married Mary Dunlop. He died on the 8th of November, 1950 in Newcastle, New South Wales, at the age of 54. He was sick for most of his later life due to sickness and injuries sustained in the war.

He was very active in his community after the war and was known as being a likeable, gentle person. He loved music and his family.

Training in Egypt

Charles arrived in Egypt in April of 1915, 9 months after Great Britain entered the war (1). The battalion arrived in Suez, Egypt and travelled by train to Albassia (about half a mile from Heliopolis). He then travelled to Mena which was where the camp was subsequently set up (1-2). The battalion then started traveling to Gallipoli Cove by boat.

The conditions in the camp were rough especially the training they did and the lack of hygiene especially since the wind brought germs from all around the camps. Many men died due to pneumonia. Most men could visit the pyramids and tombs or could go to Cairo for a short time to buy things that they sent home to their families. They trained 8 hours a day, six days a week. At first, they wore their full kits and packs during the training. There were groups all around the camp advancing, retiring, practicing and listening to their officers. They had a short break at midday and continued training for the rest of the day. Their training was very like the British Army`s. They didn’t know what tactics were being used in the battles at the time so they weren`t prepared for some of the strategies the enemy was using.

Gallipoli

On the 25th of April 1915 at 4:30am, the 10th battalion reached the shore of Gallipoli cove. They were one of the first units to come ashore at Anzac Cove as part of the covering force. Unfortunately, Charles wasn`t able to write to his family until September so we don’t have any records of that time from him except a few bits in his later letters. In early August, Charles was taken to a hospital in Egypt due to an unknown illness which most likely was influenza or pneumonia (3). He then joined the battalion again around the 20th of august for another month before again becoming ill with typhoid fever in late September of the same year (3-4-5-6). He got progressively worse and was subsequently sent back to Australia from Suez, Egypt on December 13 and arrived on the 13th of January 1916 (7-8). The evacuation of troops began December 1915 and continued into early January. Gallipoli didn`t affect the war as a whole but did affect the Australian and New Zealand soldiers. Their morale after the campaign was very low and they all had lasting problems (whether psychological or physical) from the campaign.

The conditions the soldiers had to live in were terrible. Some of contributing factors were constant noise, cramped unsanitary conditions, disease, stenches, daily death of comrades, terrible food, lack of rest and thirst. They were made to do tough physical labour like dig extensive trench and tunnels systems, cart food and water to the trenches and of course fight in battle. Disease was widespread and caused many hundreds of men to be taken from the battle and trenches, including Charles. One of Charles`s best friends, George Cullen, was killed in battle. Charles didn`t go into detail as his mother and father (the people reading the letters sent) were very close with the family of George Cullen. In a letter to his mother, Charles talks quickly of George Cullen `I suppose all our mates have heard of George Cullen's death. They sent down to the trench for me, and I was with him when he died. Jack Sprott was there with us. When are our mates coming to us? We are worn out for want of sleep`. (3)

The Western Front

Charles spent a few months in Australia after returning before deciding to join the fighting again in July of 1916 (15). He then went to England `we have arrived in England, and are camped at Perham Downs; but I do not think we will stay here long` (16). The battalion trained there for a few weeks (in similar ways as they did in Egypt). The 10th battalion then travelled to France in late July of 1916 (17). He had a few days of leave here and there but for most of 1916 and 1917 he was with his battalion. On October the 13th, Charles was admitted to a hospital in Boulogne, France and was severely wounded (although I am not sure how) (19). Charles was invalided home in late 1917 due to these injuries.

He was most likely a part of the Battle of the Somme, Third Battle of Ypres and was definitely part of the Battle of Pozières. The Battle of the Somme or the Somme Offensive was one of the largest battles fought in WW1 and it was also one of the bloodiest. It went from July 1 to November 1, 1916 and was located near the Somme River in France. By the end of the battle both the Central Powers and the Allied Forces together numbered about 1.5 million casualties. It was one of the heaviest losses on both sides. The Battle of Pozières was a small but important part of the battle of the Somme. It was fought between the 23rd July – 3rd September 1916. The Australian historian, Charles Bean, writes that Pozières ridge "is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth." The 1st and 3rd brigade played integral parts in the operation. The Third Battle of Ypres was one of the major British offensives in Flanders in 1917. Its aim was to regain German territory in and around Ypres. They fought in the most difficult of waterlogged conditions. The main reasons were frequent periods of rain and the destruction of the Flanders' drainage systems due to the heavy amounts of artillery used in the fighting.

Medals and His Legacy

Charles was given three medals for his service in the war. They were the 1914-1915 Star Medal, British War Medal and the Victory Medal. These were the three most common medals given to British/ANZAC soldiers. His name and rank were printed on the back or rim of each medal. Charles`s legacy was that of a great man that cared for others and that helped everyone. He was an important part of his community.