Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Edwin Jmaes Mold and Anna (nee Lamb) Mold of Jacob Street, Gawler, SA; brother of Jospeh William Mold, Henry Rupert Mold, Charles Edwin Mold and Florence Mildred Rose Mold,

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal

From François Berthout

Today, under the peaceful sun of the Somme, I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to the Private number 5061 Charles Edwin Mold who fought in the 32nd Australian Infantry Battalion and who was killed in action 102 years ago, on June 20, 1918 at the age of 27.

Charles Edwin Mold was born on April 30, 1891 in Gawler, South Australia, and was the third son of Edwin James and Anna Mold who lived at Jacob Street, Gawler. Before the war, Charles was a football player in the Gawler South Football Team and was also a very talented pianist, he was a member of St George's Church and he worked as a machine moulder at May Bros and Co in Gawler where he lived.

Enlisted on August 13, 1917 in Gawler in the 32nd Australian infantry battalion at the age of 26, he embarked with his unit from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A38 Ulysses on December 22, 1917 for Egypt and was disembarked in Suez on January 1, 1918 and received his training at A Camp Gabbara in Alexandria then he embarked on board HMNT Abbssieh on January 29, 1918 for Italy and was disembarked in Torento on February 7, 1918 where he completed his training at Number 9 Rest Camp then on February 14, 1918 he sailed for Cherbourg, France where he embarked the same day on board the HMNT Prince George for England where he was disembarked the next day at Codford. Charles then embarked with his battallion from Folkestone, England on April 29, 1918 for France where he was disembarked the next day at Etaples and joined the Somme front on May 2, 1918.

Charles fought with great courage in the trenches of the Somme but sadly, a month later, on June 20, 1918, he met his fate and was killed in action near Corbie, Somme at the age of 27.

Today, Charles Edwin Mold rests in peace with his friends and comrades at Beacon Cemetery, Sailly-Laurette, Somme,and his grave bears the following inscription "Until the day breaks sweetly resting forever with the lord".Charles is also commemorated at May's Mechanics Band Members Enlisted Roll of Honor, Council Offices, Gawler, South Australia.

rest in peace Charles, the Somme, France and Australia will never forget the man and the hero behind your face, we will never forget what you did here, on the sacred ground of the Somme in which so much of your brothers in arms rest in peace, we will never forget your courage and your devotion alongside your brothers in arms of the Commonwealth and France. your name will always shine on your grave, bringing to life your courage and your sacrifice through time, through the centuries, the australian sun will always shine on the Somme and we will always be grateful to you, today I stand humbly and respectfully in front of you and in front of all these young men who came from so far and who gave their youth, their courage and their lives on the battlefields today flowered with poppies, eternal symbol of your memory and the memory of all these brave men, these heroes who suffered, who fought and who fell together, united in life and in death and who write our history, our past by shedding their blood for us, for our future, these men gave their today to offer us the chance to live in a better world without ever forgetting who they were and what they did to help us build the world together and preserve the peace they fell for. For all of you, my boys of the Somme, I will always be there for you, watching over you with devotion and with the greatest of respect,always in my heart and in my thoughts.At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them.🌺