31366
FORD, Charles Arnold
| Service Number: | 51893 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 September 1917, at Sydney |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 2 May 1899 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Driver |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Sep 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 51893, 1st to 6th (SA) Reinforcements, at Sydney | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1918: | Involvement Private, 51893, 1st to 6th (SA) Reinforcements, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 1 May 1918: | Embarked Private, 51893, 1st to 6th (SA) Reinforcements, HMAT Euripides, Sydney | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 51893, 10th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Charles Arnold Ford's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Before the War
Charles Arnold Ford was born on the 2nd of May 1899, in Adelaide, South Australia. At the time of enlistment, he was eighteen years old living in Sydney, New South Wales. He was of a medium built, had blue eyes, brown hair and was 5ft 6.5 in height. He was single and worked as a driver. Due to his age, he was most likely a delivery driver. Mrs Rosina Alice Ford, his mother, lived in Norwood, South Australia. He most likely lived by himself and the money he earned as a driver could have been all he lived off. He was a senior cadet for four years, meaning he had some military training experience before. This would have given him recent experience in weapon training and the discipline required to be in the military force.
During the War
Charles Arnold Ford enlisted on the 24th of September 1917 and was given the regimental number 51893. He was appointed to the 1st South Australian Reinforcements. From the 25th of September 1917 to the 26th of October 1917 he trained as a private, the location of this is unknown. Ford and most soldiers began training straight away so they could acquire the skills and mindsets they needed before an opportunity to go away and fight arrived. This would have been a time for him to bond with the men who could have fought alongside him.
From the 15th of December 1917 to the 9th of April 1918 it is not clear what Ford was doing. Time on the cruiser would have taught him how to use weapons whilst travelling on water. Ford went AWOL from the 8th of April to the 11th of April, he was fined 1 pound.
He embarked from Sydney on the 1st of May 1918. He was found breaking out of quarters from 8 pm to 11 pm on the 4th of June. He was punished with a 28-day detention. He was only eighteen and merely a young man. His curiosity may have led him to want to explore the ship and take a break from the strict rules he had to follow. This shows he may have not been very disciplined. These actions resulted in his punishment. He was struck off strength after failing to embark at Kingston, Jamaica. This may have been due to his detention time.
He travelled to New York on the Empress of Asia. He reached New York on the 14th of June 1918. On the 18th of June 1918, he was taken on strength and embarked on an unknown ship. On the 1st of July, he was admitted to the ship’s hospital. On the 2nd of July, he disembarked to a hospital in the United Kingdom. As he hadn’t fought in the war yet, his admission to the hospital may have been due to illness.
Charles Arnold Ford was allocated to the 10th Battalion in Sutton Veny on the 31st of August 1918. In Sutton Veny he participated in training but hadn’t had any experience fighting on a battlefield unlike many of the soldiers there. He may have been allocated to this location and battalion, as they were Australians and the closest group to his location after he was discharged from hospital.
The 9th of October to the 15th of October 1918, Ford was AWOL, resulting in forfeiture of fourteen days of pay. Ford was away for a number of days, meaning he may have decided to travel somewhere to take a break from training. He was AWOL on the 29th of October 1918 from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, resulting in a forfeiture of four days of pay. As he had a history in going AWOL, his forfeiture amount may have been more than someone who didn’t have that history.
He travelled to Havre, France on the 7th of November 1918. On the 28th of November, he was released from a hospital in Havre, France. The reason he was admitted to the hospital is unknown, the cause would depend on when he needed to be admitted to hospital. It may have been because he caught Spanish influenza whilst in Sutton Veny. The influenza killed many soldiers in Sutton Veny around that time. It could have also possibly been due to an injury or illness he received whilst in Harve, France. On the 15th of March 1919, Ford detached to Base Rie Camp ex the 10th Battalion.
Ford travelled to England for his return to Australia on the 7th of June 1919. He was discharged from the AIF in Adelaide on the 2nd of September 1919, without having seen frontline service.
After the War
Charles was awarded the British War Memorial medal and Victory medal, which were given to all soldiers who served overseas during the war. His date of death is unknown.
Bibliography
National Archive Australia 2020, viewed 1 April 2020, <https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/defence-and-war-service-records>.
UNSW Australia 2016, viewed 1 April 2020, <https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/search>.
Sutton Veny 2020, viewed 1 April 2020, <https://suttonveny.co.uk/1st-world-war/>.
Australian War Memorial 2020, viewed 1 April 2020, <https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/glossary/r>.
Abbreviations and Glossary 2018, viewed 1 April 2020, <https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/rslvwm/comfy/cms/files/files/000/001/883/original/Abbrev___Glossary.pdf>.
World War 1 2016, viewed 1 April 2020, <http://www.empressofasia.com/ww1.htm>.
Click images to start slideshow.