SEWELL, Calliss
| Service Number: | 2790 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 19th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Chesterfield, England, 10 January 1890 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Porter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 3 May 1917, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in France. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 2790, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 2790, 19th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney | |
| 31 Oct 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 19th Infantry Battalion, Promoted in the field in France. | |
| 14 Nov 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2790, 19th Infantry Battalion, Gunshot wound to right knee. Went by Ambulance Train to Rouen. Embarked for England on 21st November and spent the rest of 1916 recovering. | |
| 5 Mar 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 19th Infantry Battalion, Promoted in the field in France. | |
| 3 May 1917: | Involvement Corporal, 2790, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2790 awm_unit: 19 Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-05-03 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Calliss SEWELL (Service Number 2790) was born on 10th January 1890 in Chesterfield, England. He commenced his career with the Railways on 2nd June 1913 as a porter in Sydney (in the Railways Traffic Branch). He remained in this position until 4th September 1915 when he was granted leave to join the AIF. He enlisted on 16th August 1915 and was 25 at the time. He embarked from Sydney on A14 ‘Euripides’ on 2nd November 1915 and sailed to Egypt.
On 18 th March 1916, he embarked from Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Forces. He disembarked at Marseilles shortly after on 25th March. After several months in the field, he was promoted to Lance Corporal in France on 31st October 1916. Only two weeks later, on 14th November, he was wounded in action, receiving a gunshot wound to his right knee. He was admitted to the ambulance train the following day and was taken to a hospital in Rouen.
On 21st November, he embarked for England due to his wounds. He spent the rest of 1916 in England recovering from these wounds. He proceeded back overseas for France on 16 thJanuary 1917. He re-joined his battalion in France on 24th February On 5th March, he was promoted to Corporal.
After two more months in the field, he was reported missing on 3rd May 1917. It was later found that he had died in action on this day.
One of Sewell’s comrades says that he:
‘… saw Sewell’s body lying dead on the edge of the parapet. After he was dead a bomb fell on his stomach and blew it to bits’.
He has no known grave and is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in France.
Following his death, his father received the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal in honour of his son’s service.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honojur Board.