Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Charles Henry Merlehan #231. 41st Battalion

Charles Merlehan was born in the Brisbane suburb of Bulimba. While he was still young, his parents Richard and Margaret moved to Boonah where Charles attended Lower Coochin State School.

When Charles presented himself for enlistment on 17th November 1915, he was 27 years old. He stated his occupation as labourer and named his mother as his next of kin. It is quite possible that Charles had travelled around Central Queensland seeking employment as there is a letter in his file from the Loyal Springsure Lodge requesting information to enable the payment of benefits.

A month after Charles enlistment, his younger brother Alex and two other friends from the district, David and Edward Louden, all arrived in camp at Bell’s Paddock, Enoggera. All four Boonah men were allocated to “A” Company of the 41st Battalion.


The 41st Battalion was formed in February 1916 at Enoggera to become part of the 11th Brigade of the 3rd Division AIF. The 3rd Division, unlike the other four divisions of the AIF, would undergo an extensive period of training in England before being posted to the Western Front.

Charles, Alex, David and Edward boarded the “Demosthenes” in Sydney on 18th May 1916. The Battalion landed in Plymouth on 20th July 1916 and marched out to the Australian camp at Sutton Veney for extensive training.

After only limited success on the Somme in 1916, the British High Command moved its focus on the Western Front to the Ypres salient in Belgium in 1917. The 3rd Division AIF, when shipped overseas in November 1916, was destined to endure winter in the French Belgian border region. After a brief period in hospital with mumps, Charles returned to his battalion in time for the opening of the great offensive of the Flanders campaign, the battle of Messines Ridge.

The Messines Battle was to begin on 7th June with the blowing of 19 underground mines placed under the German positions on the ridge. Once the mines had been fired, the infantry would advance to capture positions on the heights. The 41st Battalion, and the other three battalions in the 11th Brigade, had a supporting role which required them to carry tools and equipment into the frontline trenches in the days before the 7th June. On the 6th June, Charles was killed by artillery fire. He was buried in the Strand Military Cemetery near Ploegsteert on the French Belgian Border. When news of Charles’ death reached Queensland, his sister wrote from Ipswich requesting details. She also enquired into the fate of a parcel she had sent to Charles, asking if it could be forwarded to Charles’ brother Alex instead. It is quite possible that either Alex or one of the Louden Boys wrote to Charles’ family with details of his death.

Margaret Merlehan was granted a pension of one pound per fortnight to compensate for her loss. Of the four Boonah boys who joined the 41st Battalion together, only Edward Louden survived the war.