Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland

Died on this date – 17th March…… Charles Owen was born in Newton, Manchester, Lancashire, England on 1st March, 1890.

Charles Owen, along with his 9 siblings & mother were listed as passengers on the SS Waimana which departed from London & arrived in Sydney, Australia on 21st February, 1913.

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 5th August, 1915 as a 25 year old, single, Clerk (Railway Porter) from Belmore St, Burwood, NSW.

Private Charles Owen, Service number 3160, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Warilda (A69) on 8th October, 1915 with the 2nd Infantry Battalion, 10th Reinforcements.

On 14th February, 1916 Private Owen proceeded to join M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) at Tel-el-Kebir. He joined 1st Training Battalion on 17th April, 1916.

He was sent to Hospital on 13th May, 1916 & admitted with VDG on 14th May, 1916 to No. 2 A.S.H. (Australian Stationary Hospital). He was transferred to No. 4 Hospital Train on 15th May, 1916 & admitted to No. 1 A.D.H. (Australian Dermatological Hospital) at Cairo on same day. Private Owen was discharged to “Quarante Details” at Abbassia on 28th June, 1916. He was discharged to duty at Details at Tel-el-Kebir on 29th June, 1916 then admitted at Ras-el-bir Convalescent Depot same day.

Private Owen embarked for Overseas from Alexandria on H. T. Arcadia on 29th July, 1916. He was taken on strength from Egypt at Perham Downs, Wiltshire, England with 1st Training Battalion on 9th August, 1916.
He proceeded Overseas to France on 5th September, 1916 & was taken on strength at Etaples on 6th September, 1916. He joined his Battalion in Belgium on 18th September, 1916.

On 12th May, 1917 Private Owen was sent sick to 2nd Field Ambulance in France & was transferred to No. 9 Casualty Clearing Station on 13th May, 1917. He was transferred & admitted to No. 3 Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne with Trench Fever on 20th May, 1917. Private Owen was transferred to No. 7 Convalescent Depot on 30th May, 1917. He was marched in from Hospital at Havre on 28th June, 1917 to 1st Australian Divisional Base Depot. He rejoined his Battalion in France on 7th July, 1917.

Private Owen was appointed Lance Corporal on 25th July, 1917.

Lance Corporal Owen was promoted to the rank of Corporal on 1st December, 1917.
He was on furlo to UK from 4th December, 1917 & rejoined his Battalion from furlo on 19th December, 1917.

Corporal Owen was reported to be still with his Unit on 19th July, 1918.

On 16th August, 1918 Corporal Owen was on leave to Paris & rejoined his Battalion on 25th August, 1918.
He was on leave to UK from 19th December, 1918 & rejoined his Battalion from leave on 10th January, 1919.
Corporal Owen was marched out from the Field ready for Return to Australia on 19th January, 1919. He was marched out to England from A.I.B.D. (Australian Infantry Base Depot) at Havre on 24th January, 1919 & disembarked at Weymouth, England on 25th January, 1919.

On 25th January, 1919 Corporal Owen was marched in to Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire then marched in to No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire on 21st February, 1919.
He was sent sick to 1st Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny on 15th March, 1919 & admitted the same day with Tachycardia.

Corporal Charles Owen died at 9.30 p.m. on 17th March, 1919 at the 1st Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny of Mitral Insufficiency.

He was buried in St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England where 140 other WW1 Australian War Graves & 2 Australian WW1 Nurses are laid to rest.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/n---q.html

Charles OWEN (Service Number 3160) was born on 1st March 1890 at Manchester, England. His first employment with the NSW Government Railways and Tramways was in the Tramways in Sydney from 14th March 1913 where he was a casual conductor. In October he resigned, but in January 1914 he was again working, but now as a casual porter in the Traffic Branch of the Railways at Darling Harbour. This was the role from which he was released on 13th August 1915 to join the Expeditionary Forces. Owen enlisted at Warwick Farm, perhaps on 17th August. He gave his mother, living in Burwood, as his next of kin. He was allotted to the 10th Reinforcements to the 2nd Battalion. He embarked HMAT ‘Warilda’ on 8th October in Sydney. At Tel-el-Kebir in Egypt on 14th February he joined the 1st Training Battalion. In March he was hospitalised with venereal disease. This took 46 days to clear, though a period of debility followed. It was not until the end of July that he was fit to leave Egypt through Alexandria to travel to Marseilles and into France and the Western Front.
He finally joined the 2nd Battalion in Belgium on 18th September 1916.

In May he was admitted to hospital with PUO – Pyrexia [fever] of unknown origin. He passed through the 2nd Field Ambulance, No. 9 Casualty Clearing Station, No. 3 General Hospital and No. 7 Convalescent Depot before discharge to the 1st Australian Division Base Depot at Havre on 28th June 1917. In July he re-joined his Battalion and was promoted to Lance Corporal and then Corporal on 1st December 1917. By this time Owen had earned a furlough in England for two weeks. In August 1918 he enjoyed ten days in Paris and at the end of the year, with the war over,  three weeks in the UK.
On 19th January 1919, on his return from his leave the wheels were beginning to turn for his repatriation to Australia and demobilisation. He left France through Havre to No. 1 Training Brigade at Weymouth. Here he became ill with tachycardia and was admitted to the 1st General Hospital at Sutton Veny where he died on 17th March from heart disease. He was buried in the graveyard of the Church of St John the Evangelist at Sutton Veny with full military honours on 20th March.
‘The coffin (elm with brass mounts) draped with the Australian flag was conveyed to the graveside on a gun-carriage preceded by a Firing Party from the 1st Australian Training Brigade Sutton Veny. Six of the deceased’s late Unit comrades supported the Pall. The ‘Last Post’ was sounded and volleys fired over the grave. A large number of Non-Commissioned Officers and men followed the remains and were present at the graveside ceremony. Headquarters A.I.F. Depot in the United Kingdom were represented’.

- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.