Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Charles Coolgardie CHEWINGS was born in Adelaide, South Australia on 9th December, 1894

His parents were Charles CHEWINGS & Frances Mary BRADDOCK

He married Annie Mavis Pearce CAMPION on 20th March, 1929 in the Collegiate School, St Peter (Hackney) SA

Charles Coolgardie Chewings was born on December 9, 1894, in Adelaide, South Australia. He came from a distinguished and scholarly family. His father, Charles Chewings, was a prominent geologist and anthropologist known for his ground breaking explorations of Central Australia. As one of the leading scientific minds of his time, Chewings senior made significant contributions to the understanding of Australia’s arid interior, Aboriginal cultures, and geological formations. Charles’ mother, Frances Mary Braddock, supported the family during long periods of fieldwork and scientific writing, helping create a home that valued learning, discipline, and curiosity.

Growing up in a household shaped by such achievements likely influenced Charles Coolgardie Chewings. The inclusion of "Coolgardie" in his name is particularly interesting it references a mining town in Western Australia, possibly indicating his father’s connection to geological studies or symbolising the pioneering spirit in the Chewings family. 

Charles attended St Peter's College for his education and is commemorated on the school's honour board. He married in the College chapel after the war. At enlistment Charles stated his occupation was a farmer.

Enlistment and Military Training

With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Charles Coolgardie Chewings enlisted on October 20, 1914, at the age of 19. He joined the 9th Light Horse Regiment, a unit that was part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade. The regiment was primarily made up of men from South Australia and Victoria. Unlike traditional cavalry, the Australian Light Horse units were mounted infantry. Their horses provided speed and mobility, but they typically dismounted to fight. This allowed them to combine the agility of cavalry with the firepower and tactical flexibility of infantry.

Chewings underwent training at Broadmeadows Camp in Melbourne, Victoria. Training was comprehensive and demanding. It involved:

Mounted Drills: Recruits learned to ride, control, and manoeuvre horses under simulated battle conditions.
Weapons Proficiency: Soldiers trained with Lee-Enfield rifles, bayonets, and revolvers, becoming adept in both ranged and close-quarters combat.
Endurance and Physical Fitness: Long marches, obstacle courses, and conditioning exercises prepared them for the physical challenges ahead.
Tactical Exercises: These included ambush drills, reconnaissance missions, and learning to operate effectively in squads and platoons.

By early 1915, the regiment was ready for deployment. On February 11, 1915, Charles embarked from Melbourne aboard the HMAT Karroo (A10), bound for Egypt a gateway to the Middle Eastern theatre of the war.

Upon arriving in Egypt in March 1915, Chewings and his regiment expected to fight in mobile cavalry operations. However, plans soon changed. The terrain of Gallipoli, where Allied forces aimed to open a new front against the Ottoman Empire, was steep, rocky, and unsuitable for horses. As a result, the 9th Light Horse Regiment was deployed to Gallipoli as dismounted infantry.

Chewings found himself in one of the most gruelling and iconic campaigns in Australian military history. The conditions were appalling. Soldiers lived in narrow, dirty trenches carved into the cliffs above the Aegean Sea. Supplies were scarce, clean water was limited, and disease spread rapidly. Chewings caught an infection and was hospitalised in Mudros with a septic arm in June 1915. Infections affected many troops due to the unsanitary environment and poor nutrition.

Despite these challenges, Chewings participated in critical operations, including night-time patrols, holding front-line trenches, and engaging in raids and counterattacks. One significant engagement was the Battle of Hill 60 in August 1915. The objective was to seize high ground to improve Allied positions, but the attack came at a high cost. The 9th Light Horse Regiment suffered heavy casualties. Though the battle was not ultimately successful, it marked the final major offensive of the Gallipoli campaign.

In September Chewings returned to hospital in Mudros diagnosed with a Choli Cyst and after 3 weeks was moved to England and admitted to Beauford War Hospital in Bristol. He returned to the Middle East in March 1916.

Chewings was taken on strength with the 5th Division Artillery 1st April 1916 in Heliopolis and later in May 1916 was mustered as a driver and transferred to base detail in Tel el Kebir. 

June 7th 1916 Chewings embarked on the Ionian with the 5th Divisional Base Depot Artillery Reinforcements from Alexandria and disembarked at Marseilles 15th June. He was taken on strength with the 13th Field Artillery and posted to the 51st Battalion.

He was appointed as a Bombardier on 1st May 1917. In July 1917 he took two weeks furlough returning from leave 10th August 1917.

Chewings went to gas school in September 1917 and returned to his unit in early October and soon after was promoted to temporary Corporal. In January 1918 he was promoted to Corporal Vice, and was transferred briefly to Artillery School in February 1918. While at Artillery School he fell ill with Scarlet Fever in March 1918 and was moved between hospitals in Calais and Boulogne. In April he was transferred to the 10th Convalescent Depot and then admitted to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital. At the end of the month he was moved to the 1st Convalescent Depot. His condition must have been serious as he was moved between different hospitals and convalescent depots for treatment in France for the next few weeks until he finally returned to his unit on 22nd June 1918.

Chewings took leave in the UK in late September 1918 and rejoined the 13th Field Artillery in France 21st October. While on leave he was promoted to Temporary Sergeant. After the war ended Chewings was struck off strength and took leave in England and was posted to the Australian General Base Depot until he was repatriated back to Australia in April 1919 on the SS Armagh.

Return to Civilian Life

Chewings was discharged 15th July 1919. On March 20, 1929, Charles Chewings married Annie Mavis Peace Campion at the Collegiate School of St Peter in Hackney, South Australia. Together they had at least one son John Charles Chewings.

Charles Coolgardie Chewings passed away on 9th December 1894, at the age of 90 and is buried at North Shields Cemetery Port Lincoln.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Australian War Memorial. 9th Light Horse Regiment Unit Diaries. Retrieved from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51043
National Archives of Australia. Service Record of Charles Coolgardie Chewings. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au
Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Grave/Memorial Details of Charles Coolgardie Chewings. Retrieved from https://www.cwgc.org
Secondary Sources

Australian Dictionary of Biography. Chewings, Charles (1859–1937). Retrieved from https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/chewings-charles-5578
Australian War Memorial. The Gallipoli Campaign. Retrieved from https://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/gallipoli
Australian War Memorial. The Sinai and Palestine Campaign. Retrieved from https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/palestine
RSL Virtual War Memorial. Charles Coolgardie Chewings – Biography. Retrieved from https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/
State Records of South Australia. South Australian Soldiers in World War I. Retrieved from http://www.archives.sa.gov.au/content/our-catalogue
Trove Australia. Newspaper Reports on Charles Coolgardie Chewings. Retrieved from https://trove.nla.gov.au/