Richard Charles James CHANDLER

CHANDLER, Richard Charles James

    Service Number: 495
    Enlisted: 5 February 1915
    Last Rank: Private
    Last Unit: 18th Infantry Battalion
    Born: Glebe, New South Wales, Australia, 1896
    Home Town: Glebe, New South Wales
    Schooling: Glebe Public School and Sydney Technical High School ,New South Wales, Australia
    Occupation: Clerk
    Died: Died of wounds, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 22 August 1915
    Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
    Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey
    Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Glebe Superior Public School WWI Memorial, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour
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    World War 1 Service

    5 Feb 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 495
    25 Jun 1915: Involvement Private, 495, 18th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: ''
    25 Jun 1915: Embarked Private, 495, 18th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney

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    Biography contributed by Sydney Technical High School

    Chandler was born on the 6th December 1896 to Charles William Chandler and Phoebe Jane Chandler, née Pendlebury. (1) He lived with his Presbyterian family in Glebe of Sydney, a part of a vibrant and growing community that was rapidly developing as Australia transitioned into the twentieth century. His education began at Glebe Public School and continued at Sydney Technical High School in the 1910s. (2) His school records from 1912 depict that he excelled in Arithmetic and Algebra while he fell short in subjects like History, German, and French by comparison.(3) Additionally, he had an early indoctrination into the military discipline through his experiences in the Senior Cadets for four years and militia for six months, gaining valuable militaristic training and practical experiences. (4) Chandler worked as a clerk before enlistment in the AIF. Tragedy soon followed the completion of his studies when Chandler’s sister, Alice Phoebe died on the 20th of January 1914 at 20 years of age in South Sydney Hospital. (5) 

    Chandler enlisted to the Australian Imperial Force on the 5th of February 1915 (7 )with the 18th Infantry Battalion.  On 25 June 1915, Chandler embarked from Sydney on Transport A40 "Ceramic" to Egypt then later sailed to Gallipoli. On arrival, the battalion was taken to Mena Camp near Cairo, where they engaged in rigorous training designed to mirror the climate and hardships awaiting them in Gallipoli. This included acclimatisation to extreme temperatures, tactical drills, and fostering unit cohesion, which would be critical in this campaign. (9) On 22 August 1915, Chandler and his unit arrived at ANZAC Cove and immediately became involved in the fierce and vital "Battle of Hill 60", which lasted until 29 August 1915. Known to be the last major Allied offensive taken at ANZAC Cove prior to its evacuation in December 1915, it aimed at taking control of the commanding heights of Hill 60. The initial success was counterbalanced by fierce Ottoman counterattacks that inflicted a high casualty count on Allied forces. (10) It was during this attempt that Private Richard Charles James Chandler sustained a severe bayonet wound in the abdomen. He was afterwards admitted to the Hospital Ship, "H.M.H.S. Gloucester Castle", where he died of his wounds. (11)

    (12) Following his death, his family faced further tragedy with his father, Charles William Chandler, passing away on June 27, 1923, shortly after World War I, and his mother, Phoebe Jane Chandler, dying on October 29, 1926 (13) Chandler’s life was cut short and he was unable to experience life after the war or start a family of his own. Conditions for the family at 57 Glebe Road, Glebe, were those of tremendous hardship and loss. (14) He is now commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial and the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial. (15) During the memorialisation of Chandler's sacrifice, the Principal of Technical High School acknowledged, "The supreme sacrifice had been given by Hessel Mills, Lawrence Cornish, Stanley Goode, Keith Wood, Richard Chandler, and Robert Willison." (16) The memorial account shows the bravery displayed by Chandler and the collective sacrifice of his classmates.

     

    References

      1. Ken Stevenson. Richard Charles James Chandler. World War 1 Honour Board      Project. Word Document.
      2. Ibid
      3. Ken Stevenson. Richard Charles James Chandler. World War 1 Honour Board Project. THS 1912 Class 1C Term 1.
      4. Ken Stevenson. Richard Charles James Chandler. World War 1 Honour Board Project. Chandler RC01 -  Australian Imperial Force Attestation Paper.

     5. Ken Stevenson. Richard Charles James Chandler. World War 1 Honour Board Project. Word Document.
     6. NSW Parliament. The Early Federal Period (1901 - 1918).
     7. Ken Steveson. Richard Charles James Chandler. World War 1 Honour Board Project. Chandler RC01 - Australian Imperial Force Attestation Paper.
    8.  Ibid
      9. Christie, Darragh. 1914-1918, Hill 60 and the Lost 18th.

     10. Ibid
      11. Ken Stevenson. Richard Charles James Chandler. World War 1 Honour Board Project. Word Document.
      12.  UNSW Canberra - the Australian Imperial Force Project. Richard Charles James Chandler 1896 - 1915.
      13. Ken Stevenson. Richard Charles James Chandler. World War 1 Honour Board Project. Word Document.
      14.  Ibid
      15. Virtual War Memorial Australia. Richard Charles James Chandler 1896 - 1915.
      16. Ken Stevenson. Richard Charles James Chandler. World War 1 Honour Board Project. Word Document.

     

    Bibliography

    https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/275558

    https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3231015&isAv=N

    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Voi0-msyPuduTKe5zzfVFxJH4gpAQsZx

    https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=50222

    https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583

    https://vwma.org.au/explore/units

    https://www.awm.gov.au/ 

    https://www.anzacmemorial.nsw.gov.au/hill-60 

    https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E84288 

    https://mosman1914-1918.net/project/blog/hill-60-and-the-lost-18th 

    https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/about/Pages/1901-to-1918-The-Early-Federal-Period-and-the-Fir.aspx 

     

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