Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ronald Henry Stewart Chatto was born in St Peters, New South Wales, Australia on the 23rd November 1895 to Herbert Henry Edward Stewart Chatto and Mary Anne Chatto (1). He attended Kogarah Superior Public School, a keen scholar he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Sydney Technical College, Sydney Technical High School from 1910 (2). His interest in the arts and literature stemmed from his childhood years growing up in a musical family. Chatto’s mother was a keen musical theatre performer and a member of the Kogarah School of Arts where she once performed musical items. During this time Ronald accompanied her performing popular items such as “A Song of Sunshine” (3). Ronald’s interest in literature and storytelling would resurface later as he chronicled the events of the 7th Company Field Engineers during the war.

Ronald Henry Stewart Chatto enlisted into the Army on 22nd September 1915 when he was aged 19 years and 10 months (4). He married Winefred E Jenner (5) before he was deployed. Initially he trained at the Sydney Showground (6) not too great of a distance from his family home in St Peters.

He embarked to Egypt on the 27th November 1915 on the HMAT A23 Suffolk (7). Chatto continued his training on the Seuz Canal along with other field company engineers and AIF troops (8). Once training was completed, Chatto along with the 7th Field Company Engineers travelled to Marseilles, France to be deployed on the Western Front (9). During the war, the 7th Field Company played a vital role in trench warfare. They constructed trenches and defensive gun positions, they also aided in support to infantry such as water supply, construction of roads and bridges for transportation and operated command posts. “In the lead up to the attack at Mont St Quentin the Engineers were required to carry out two river crossing / bridging operations.”(10).

Chatto quickly excelled through the ranks reaching Corporal status on 19th March 1916. Soon after he was further promoted to (Sergeant) Sapper on 24th June 1916 (11). During this time Chatto would draw upon his creative roots in the Kogarah School of Arts to chronicle the events of the 7th Field Company Engineers. A gifted writer Chatto did more than merely state dates, rather he chronicled the official and personal acts of every member sharing “jokes, sorrows and joys”. Being such an entertaining read he would later publish “the 7th Company”(12). For his service in the 7th Field Company he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and was Mentioned in Despatches.

Ronald Henry Stewart Chatto returned to Australia on 10th April 1919 (14). He and his wife Winefred Chatto would settle in at 13 Bellevue St Kogarah where they would start a family (15). Firstborn Harry Stewart Chatto on the 12th March 1920 (16), later another son would complete the family, Ronald Keith Chatto who was born on 30th November 1924 (17). Harry would follow in his father’s footsteps serving in WWII by joining the RAAF. Although tragedy would behold the family when he died in combat over Germany on the 21st March 1945  in WWII, one of an all Australian crew 180 squadron, 2nd Tactical Air Force R.A.F (18).

 Chatto would go on to immerse himself in his work as an accountant where “He was held in high regard by his colleagues at the Smith weekly, they referred to him as “dinkum  bloke "" (19). During this time he would delve into his creativity to author a comic strip, “No Team Spirit” satirising the war (20). During This time Chatto went on to publish his chronicles of “The 7th Company”, copies of which are still available today. After his death,a second edition of the book was published in the 1990s reflecting the book’s success offering readers an authentic insight into the life of a digger.

Endnotes

1. Virtual War Memorial Australia:https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/256814 

2. Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 27 March 1920, page 12

3. St George Call (Kogarah, NSW : 1904 - 1957), Saturday 3 October 1908, page 5 

4. A.I.F army form B103

5. Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 27 March 1920, page 12

6. Smith's Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1919 - 1950), Saturday 16 May 1936, page 16 

7. Ibid

8. Ibid

9. Ibid

10.Virtual War Memorial Australia https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/179#:~:text=They%20undertook%20a%20broad%20range,and%20bridge%20construction%20and%20route

11. War Gratuity Schedule

12. Smith's Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1919 - 1950), Saturday 16 May 1936, page 16 

13. The AIF Project, UNSW

14. Army Form B.213

15. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 for Ronald Henry Stewart Chatto

16. Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 27 March 1920, page 12

17. Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 13 December 1924, page 18. CHATTO Herbert Henry Death notice 24OCT1948 Death 81 late of Mascot Sydney Morning Herald 27OCT1948

19. Smith's Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1919 - 1950), Saturday 16 May 1936, page 16 

20. Ibid

Bibliography

Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 27 March 1920, page 12
https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/256814 

https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=51259

https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/179#:~:text=They%20undertook%20a%20broad%20range,and%20bridge%20construction%20and%20route

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338967

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspxBarcode=3239297&isAv=N 

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14683767