FULLER, Charles Alan
| Service Number: | 1131 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 September 1914, Enlisted at Morphettvill,SA |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Stationary Hospital (AIF) |
| Born: | Parkside, South Australia, Australia, 6 October 1895 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Pulteney Street School and the Collegiate School of St. Peter |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Gallipoli, 4 December 1915, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Ari Burnu Cemetery, Gallipoli Row H, Grave 5 Commemorated in the North Road, Church of England Cemetery, Adelaide,SA, |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Glenelg St Michael's Memorial Chapel CHORISTERS Memorial Window, Hackney St Peter's College Fallen Honour Board, Parkside C A Fuller Memorial Plaque, Rose Park Burnside & District - Fallen Soldiers Memorial Trees - Rose Park, Rose Park Burnside District Fallen Soldiers' Memorial - Rose Park, St. Peters East Adelaide Public School Roll of Honour, Tusmore Burnside District Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1131, 1st Stationary Hospital (AIF), Enlisted at Morphettvill,SA | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec 1914: | Involvement Private, 1131, 1st Stationary Hospital (AIF), ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Dec 1914: | Embarked Private, 1131, 1st Stationary Hospital (AIF), HMAT Kyarra, Melbourne | |
| 4 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 1131, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1131 awm_unit: No. 1 Australian Stationary Hospital awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1915-12-04 |
Biography
Charles Alan Fuller (Figure 1) was born on the 6th of October, at Parkside South Australia, 1895. He was the son of Henry Ernest Fuller and Margaret Jessie Fuller. Fuller also had a sister by the name of Florence Isabel Fuller and a brother by the name of Basil Fuller. His hometown was Adelaide, south Australia and he attend school at Pulteney street school and the Collegiate school of St. Peter, at school boys were told stories of war and were taught military drills at school, this may have been a factor as to why boys such as Fuller may have wanted to enlist in the military. After leaving school he gained employment with the Adelaide steamship company; at the time of his enlisting he was working as a clerical officer for the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, Adelaide (Virtual war memorial, ND). This job may have required Fuller to be a quick writer and good with figures. Some reasons that Fuller may have been encouraged to enlist in the army may have been that his older brother had also enlisted in the military and Fuller may have felt the need to follow in his brother’s footsteps. Another contributing factor was that boys were told of military stories where the heroes were rarely injured or killed and they won their battles easily, they were also taught military drills (Easton et al (2018, p. 392-393).
Submitted 10 May 2019 by Alexandra Cervantes Fuller
Biography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of Henry Ernest Fullaer and Margaret Jessie Fuller nee Sunter of Eastwood Terrace, Eastwood, SA. Also brother of Florence Isabel Fuller
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Biography
Charles Alan Fuller of Eastwood South Australia gained his early education at the Pulteney Street School and completed it at the Collegiate School of St. Peter.
After leaving school he gained employment with the Adelaide Steamship Company but by the time he enlisted had changed jobs and was working as a clerical officer for the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, Adelaide.
Charles although keen to serve his country was concerned he may be rejected because of his poor eyesight, just as he had been when he applied to serve in the senior cadets at the School. Obviously, he pestered his father to assist him in any way he could and in a letter to his doctor dated 19 September 1914; Mr Fuller asked the doctor if he would be kind enough to use his influence to assist his son to ‘secure a position of some sort with the second expeditionary forces.’
In his letter, Mr Fuller explained how Charles had obtained the St John’s Ambulance certificate while at the School and was a ‘quick writer, good with figures, energetic and a good sailor, and is used to sea life, having served as an assistant purser.’ [i]
Whether the doctor used his influence is unknown but Charles enlisted at Morphettville on 25 September 1914 his vision, with the aid of glasses, proved satisfactory and he was accepted for service with the Medical Corps.
In early December Private Fuller, 1st Australian Stationary Hospital, sailed from Melbourne aboard HMAT Kyarra and reached Egypt in mid January. Even before sailing for Lemnos in March 1915, the staff of the 1st Australian Stationary Hospital was known for their exceptionally good work in Egypt. With the time for the complete evacuation of Gallipoli drawing close, the 1st Australian Stationary Hospital was relocated to the Peninsula and set up on the beach beneath the broken yellow hill known to all who served there as the ‘Sphinx’ on 4 November. Due to its close proximity to the artillery and ammunition dumps however, the location on North Beach proved to be less than ideal and the hospital was shelled frequently.
Private Charles Fuller was wounded at 1st Australian Stationary Hospital on 3 December, and died the next day; he was 20 years of age.
His older brother Basil (OS) a lieutenant with the 10th Battalion was twice wounded and returned to Australia in November 1918.
[i] National Archives of Australia: B 2455, Fuller Charles Alan / 4036164, viewed 26 May 2006
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