MS8943
FISHER, Christopher Thomas
| Service Number: | 1864 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 5th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Petersburg, South Australia, 16 December 1876 |
| Home Town: | Manna Hill, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Examiner |
| Died: | 15 April 1943, aged 66 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (AIF Section) Memorial ID 158856158, Plot Light Oval, grave location West Terrace Cemetery Adelaide, City of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Memorials: | Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, Laura Peak Vale Roll of Honour, Manna Hill & District Roll of Honor, Peterborough 'LOCO' S.A.R. Roll of Honor, Peterborough War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 1864, 5th Pioneer Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 1864, 5th Pioneer Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 1864 |
Help us honour Christopher Thomas Fisher's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Christopher Thomas Fisher was born on 16th of December 1876 in Petersburg, South Australia, the son of C. Fisher of Kapunda. He was raised within the Roman Catholic faith.Growing up in rural South Australia during a period of expanding rail infrastructure, Fisher was drawn to railway work, ultimately becoming a railway examiner. This occupation required not only a careful eye for detail and technical competence but also a commitment to public safety, as examiners were responsible for ensuring that trains and equipment met strict operational standards.
On 16th of February 1916, at the age of 39, Fisher enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, volunteering his service during the First World War. Assigned to the 5th Pioneer Battalion, he embarked from Adelaide on the 11th of April 1916 aboard the transport ship HMAT A60 Aeneas. His enlistment records describe him as 5 feet 6¼ inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, with a chest measurement of 33 to 34¼ inches, a dark complexion, brown eyes, and dark brown hair—an appearance shaped by years of physical labour. Although older than many of his comrades, Fisher adapted to the demands of military service, drawing upon the discipline and technical knowledge he had acquired during his railway career. The Pioneer battalions were unique in their dual role: they were trained for combat but were primarily employed in construction and engineering tasks, including the building of trenches, strongpoints, communication lines, railways, and roads under combat conditions. In this capacity, Fisher’s skills as a railway examiner were of particular value.
Fisher’s service was characterised by unwavering dedication and the challenges that came with it. He entered active service 24 August 1916 in France. On 12 December 1916, he was admitted to hospital with bronchitis and after treatment and convalescence he rejoined his unit 22 February 1917. He became ill again with an infaction in September 1917 and was treated in French hospitals. He returned to base in late December and retuned to his unit in March 1918. In October of 1918 he was granted 2 weeks leave and he travelled to England.
After more than three years of active service, Fisher returned to Australia aboard the Beltana, disembarking on the 15th of July 1919, by then 42 years old. After the war he married Mary Julia. Fisher’s life spanned 66 years and nearly four months, until he died on the 15th of April 1943, though the cause of death was not specified in available records.
References
Australian Imperial Force Project (AIF), n.d. Person details: Christopher Thomas Fisher. Available at: https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=97880 [Accessed 22 September 2025].
Australian War Memorial (AWM), n.d. Service record: Christopher Thomas Fisher, Collection item R1985899. Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1985899 [Accessed 22 September 2025].
National Archives of Australia (NAA), n.d. Service records of Christopher Thomas Fisher. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3900339 [Accessed 22 September 2025].
State Library of South Australia (SLSA), n.d. Eyewitness account – Christopher Thomas Fisher. South Australian Red Cross Information Bureau WWI collection. Available at: https://sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/eyewitness/christopher-thomas-fisher [Accessed 22 September 2025].
Virtual War Memorial Australia (VWMA), n.d. Christopher Thomas Fisher. Available at: Virtual War Memorial | Christopher Thomas FISHER [Accessed 22 September 2025].
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