CHRISTENSEN, Christian Peder
| Service Number: | Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 July 1915, Melbourne, Vic. |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 39th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Raywood, Victoria, Australia, 28 April 1886 |
| Home Town: | Raywood, Greater Bendigo, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Kamarooka School, Teachers' Training College, Melbourne University, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Teacher |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Messines, Belgium, 29 July 1917, aged 31 years |
| Cemetery: |
Kandahar Farm Cemetery, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium Plot II, Row F, Grave No. 4 |
| Memorials: | Bendigo Great War Roll of Honor, Huntly Kamarooka School Roll of Honour, Kamarooka WW1 Roll of Honor, Kaniva Shire of Lawloit Great War Roll of Sacrifice, Kaniva Shire of Lawloit WW1 Roll of Honor, Molyullah Pictorial Honour Roll, Parkville Old State College Memorial Windows, Raywood State School No. 1844 Honor Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Company Sergeant Major, Officer, 39th Infantry Battalion, Melbourne, Vic. | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 39th Infantry Battalion, Ballarat, Vic. | |
| 25 Sep 1916: | Involvement 39th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: '' | |
| 25 Sep 1916: | Embarked 39th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Shropshire, Melbourne | |
| 23 Jun 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 39th Infantry Battalion, Belgium | |
| 29 Jul 1917: | Involvement Lieutenant, 39th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 39th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1917-07-29 | |
| 29 Jul 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 39th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres |
Help us honour Christian Peder Christensen's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Tobias and Marie Christensen, of Patho, Victoria, Australia.
DUTY NOBLY AND BRAVELY DONE
Christian was appointed junion teacher at Mologa East in 1902, and transferred to Raywood in 1903. In 1905, he entered the Teachers' College. He was head teacher at Tamleugh North in 1907, assistant at Warrnambool in 1909, head teacher at Ryan's Creek in 1910, assistant at Bendigo Central in the same year, at North Melbourne in 1911, and Essendon High School in 1913. He was head teacher at Kaniva in 1914 and part of 1915, enlisting in August of that year. He is recorded as an earnest and effective teacher, strong, skilful, forceful, and lucid. He was a Bachelor of Arts, and also obtained the Trained Teacher's Certificate, the Dipolma of Education, and six sciences and qualified in drawing, drill, gymnastics and woodwork.
His sister writes - "His life was closely devoted to study. He rose at 5 a.m. daily to accomplish his day's work. He was a keen sportsman, an excellent platform speaker, and interesed himself in all movements for the welfare of the district in which he followed his profession. Horticulture and photography were his hobbies, and the most valuable snapshots taken by himself were between his departure from Australian and his arrival in France. Letters received from all parts of Victoria show that he was most popular with his pupils".
The Education Departments Record of War Service
Biography contributed by Robert Wight
A teacher prior to enlisting, Second Lieutenant (later Lieutenant) Christian Peder Christensen, 39th Battalion, of Traralgon, Victoria. embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Shropshire (A9) on 25 September 1916.
He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 23 July 1917.
On 29 July 1917, aged 31, he and four other members of a working party, laying cables at Messines, Belgium, were killed in action. He was highly respected and well liked by his comrades.
He is buried in the Kandahar Farm Cemetery, Belgium.
Source: AWM
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