CHELL, George Charles
| Service Number: | 6059 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 20th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Newall, Derbyshire, England, 4 December 1891 |
| Home Town: | Petersham, Marrickville, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | tram conductor |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 20 September 1917, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Oct 1916: | Involvement Private, 6059, 20th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Oct 1916: | Embarked Private, 6059, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Sydney |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
George Charles CHELL, (Service Number 6059) was born on 4 December 1891 at Newall, Derbyshire, England. He commenced working for the NSW Tramways as a casual conductor in Sydney on 7 September 1914. He held that position for the rest of his career and life with permanency only coming in February 1917 long after he had been released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces in June 1916. Chell was married, to Beatrice Evelyn.
He left Australia through Sydney aboard HMAT ‘Ascanius’ on 25 October 1916.
At the end of January1917, he was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital, seriously ill with appendicitis, and it would be the end of April before he was well enough to return to the Depot.
George was killed in action on 20 September near Ypres. Private A Carter (6044) reported:
‘I did not see the actual casualty but he was killed on Anzac Spur near Zonnebeke Ridge. I was doing stretcher bearing at the time and I found him and buried him on Anzac Spur at place of casualty, but I did not then mark the grave. I knew him very well, he came from Liechardt (sic), Sydney. He had a photo and a letter on him, which came from his wife there.’
Chell and four others had been having a meal in a shell hole when a shell came over and hit all of them. Only one, E E Dawson survived to report the details.
The location of the hasty burial was lost and Chell is now remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.
In his enlistment papers Chell had given his religion as Methodist, so his widow Beatrice was distressed when the parcel of his personal effects eventually delivered to her contained a Catholic rosary. She returned the parcel, concluding that none of the items were likely to be her deceased husband’s, and demanded of the military that they locate his true effects.
Submitted 25 May 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
George Charles CHELL, (Service Number 6059) was born on 4th December 1891 at Newall, Derbyshire, England. He commenced working for the NSW Tramways as a casual conductor in Sydney on 7th September 1914. He was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces in June 1916. George was married, to Beatrice Evelyn.
He left Australia from Sydney aboard HMAT ‘Ascanius’ on 25th October 1916. He reached Devonport, UK, on 28th December. At the end of January, he was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital because he was seriously ill with appendicitis. At the end of April he was well enough to return to the Depot. He went to France from Southampton and by way of Le Havre in July. On 1st August before he joined the 20th Australian Infantry Battalion.
He was killed in action on 20th September near Ypres. Private A Carter (6044) reported:
‘I did not see the actual casualty but he was killed on Anzac Spur near Zonnebeke Ridge. I was doing stretcher bearing at the time and I found him and buried him on Anzac Spur at place of casualty, but I did not then mark the grave. I knew him very well, he came from Liechardt (sic), Sydney. He had a photo and a letter on him, which came from his wife there.’
George Chell and four other men had been having a meal in a shell hole when a shell came over and hit all of them. Only one man, E E Dawson, survived to report the details.
The location of the hasty burial was lost and George Chell is now remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.
In his enlistment papers Chell had given his religion as Methodist. Therefore his widow Beatrice was distressed when the parcel of his personal effects eventually delivered to her contained a Catholic rosary. She concluded that none of the items were likely to belong to her deceased husband, returned the arcel, and demanded that the military locate his true effects.
- based on the notes for the Great Sydney Central Honour Board