BERTRAM, Celestin Francis Henry
| Service Number: | 845 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 December 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 9th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Grey Ward, Adelaide, South Australia, 29 August 1886 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Employee |
| Died: | Natural Causes, Payneham, South Australia, Australia, 29 August 1974, aged 88 years |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia Plaque in Garden of Remembrance |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Dec 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 845, 9th Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 845, 9th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Lincoln embarkation_ship_number: A17 public_note: '' | |
| 1 Apr 1915: | Embarked Private, 845, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Port Lincoln, Adelaide | |
| 9 Apr 1918: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 845, 9th Light Horse Regiment | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Trooper, 845, 9th Light Horse Regiment |
Help us honour Celestin Francis Henry Bertram's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Celestin Francis Henry Bertram was born on August 29, 1886, in Grey Ward, Adelaide. He was a member of the Church of England (Anglican) throughout his life.
Before the war, Celestin worked as a railway employee in Adelaide. He married Catherine Clara Bertram, and they had three children before he left for war, with their youngest only six months old. While he was away, Catherine had another child and four more after his return.
Celestin enlisted in December 1914 at age 28 and a half. He was 5'6", weighed 173 lbs, had brown hair, grey eyes, three tattoos on his left forearm, and a scar on his right calf. At enlistment, he lived at 14 Byron Place, Adelaide, and listed Catherine as his next of kin. He joined at Keswick Barracks with no prior military experience. Celestin was part of the 4th reinforcements, leaving Australia a few months into the war.
Celestin’s first stop was Gallipoli, where he was hospitalized on June 26, 1915, with piles. He was treated and returned to his unit and was again hospitalised with a blasted eardrum the following month. He was admitted to a Stationary Hospital on July 19, before being transferred to Malta on July 25. He returned to his unit after treatment. In October 1916 he was wounded in action in France with a severe gunshot wound to his leg. After treatment in France, he was transferred to hospital in England.
Celestin returned to the Middle East 16th February 1917. He spent time in and out of hospital for the next year for several reasons enteritis, bronchitis, issues with his lungs and troubled by the scarring from his wound.
He was granted furlough to return to Australia due to problems with his wife. He had 3 more children after the war. Celestin enlisted for WW2 in November 1940 and was promoted to Acting Sergeant in April 1942. He was discharged medically unfit in May 1942.
Celestin died 29the August 1947 aged 88 and is commemorated at Centennial Park Cemetery.
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