PALIN, Archibald Edward
| Service Number: | 938 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 13th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Dorking, Surrey, England, 6 January 1892 |
| Home Town: | Ben Lomond, Guyra, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | St Martins C of E Infants School and then St Martins C of E Boys School. |
| Occupation: | Builder’s yard clerk in England. Railway fireman in New South Wales |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Died at sea aboard the hospital ship Gascon and was buried at sea between Gallipoli and Alexandria., Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 4 May 1915, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Panel 38., Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cooma St Andrew's Memorial Gate, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement Private, 938, 13th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ulysses embarkation_ship_number: A38 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked Private, 938, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ulysses, Melbourne |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
Births Mar 1892 Palin Archibald Edward Dorking 2a 158
Archibald was born in Dorking on 6 January 1892.
Dorking is a market town in Surrey, England between Ranmore Common in the North Downs range of hills and Leith Hill in the Greensand Ridge, centred 21 miles (34 km) from London.
According to his military records, he was fostered from birth by George and Ann Charman. He attended St Martins C of E Infants School and then St Martins C of E Boys School. During these early years of Archibald’s life, the family were living in Meadowbrook Road, Dorking.
By 1901 the family, which included infant Albert Charman, had moved to Mickleham where George Charman was a “Carter” on the “Burford” estate. The census return of that year records Archibald as the Charmans’ “Adopted Son”.
He is one of 8 Australian casualties of the Great War who are honoured on the Dorking War Memorials-there is the Civic one in the town and one in St Martin's Church there. The names of some of Australian casualties are also on the Dorking United Reform Church Memorial-he is one of them.
By 1911 the family had moved to 10 Dene Street Gardens in Dorking and George was working as a “Contractors Carman”. Interestingly, Archibald, now 19, is listed as a “Boarder” with the family rather than Son or Adopted Son. He was working as a builder’s yard clerk.
Archibald went to Australia when he was 21 years old – presumably by himself as his parents continued to live in Surrey. His name hasn’t been found on the passenger lists.
He found work as a railway fireman in New South Wales, living in Ben Lomond, NSW. He was only 22 and still newly arrived in Australia when he volunteered at the outbreak of War, enlisting on 3 September 1914 at Roseberry Park, NSW. His adoptive mother, Mrs Charman, is listed as his next of kin, but now living at 89 Cline Road, Guildford.
He was assigned to the machine gun section and embarked on HMAT Ulysses at Melbourne on 22 December 1914, making for Gallipoli.
Archibald was involved in the early days of the Gallipoli campaign but was killed in action soon after his arrival in the Dardanelles. He died of wounds, apparently a gunshot wound to the head, aboard the hospital ship Gascon and was buried at sea between Gallipoli and Alexandria.
Aboard ship Archibald was known as “Blue”. A fellow serviceman wrote of him: “He proved himself thoroughly brave and courageous in action and always put his duty before personal safety. He did invaluable work in his capacity as a scout and set a great example to the other men by his coolness under fire.”
Mrs Charman had to wait for the best part of year to find out how her son died; she received a letter dated 6 March 1916 with details.
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