Charles Matthew FRANCIS

FRANCIS, Charles Matthew

Service Number: 4465
Enlisted: 31 August 1915
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 3rd Infantry Battalion
Born: East Greta, New South Wales, Australia, August 1877
Home Town: Newcastle, Hunter Region, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Smedmore (Maryville), New South Wales, Australia, December 1947, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Sandgate General Cemetery, Newcastle, NSW
METHODIST 2 (PRIMITIVE) 4 NW. 4.
Memorials: Wickham "Citizens of Wickham" Volunteers Honour Roll
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World War 1 Service

31 Aug 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4465, 3rd Infantry Battalion
15 Jan 1916: Involvement Private, 4465, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Osterley embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: ''
15 Jan 1916: Embarked Private, 4465, 3rd Infantry Battalion, RMS Osterley, Sydney
19 Jul 1917: Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 4465, 3rd Infantry Battalion

Help us honour Charles Matthew Francis's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Evan Evans

From Gary Mitchell, Sandgate Cemetery

73 years ago today, on the Monday afternoon of the 15th December 1947, Private Charles Matthew Francis, 3rd Battalion (Reg No-4465), labourer from 206 Hannell Street, Smedmore, (Maryville), New South Wales and 7 Lott Street, Smedmore (Maryville), N.S.W., father of one (Bella), was laid to rest at Sandgate Cemetery, age 70. METHODIST 2 (PRIMITIVE) 4 NW. 4.

Born at East Greta, New South Wales on the 21st August 1877 (as FRANCES) to Charles and Rosanna Francis; husband of Catherine (Kathleen) Francis nee Marshall (married 1900, Waratah, N.S.W., died 1937 - incorrectly listed on database as FRAMES), Charles enlisted August 1915 at Newcastle, N.S.W.
Charles was invalided home July 1917 with a bunion, and was discharged medically unfit with overage and senility on the 18th August 1917.

Mr Francis’s name has been inscribed on the Wickham Municipal District Roll of Honour Board (1), Smedmore School of Arts Honour Roll and the Tighes Hill Public School Honor Roll.

Charles’s name has not been inscribed on the headstone with his wife Catherine, another Forgotten Digger of The Great War, so March 2020 I placed a cross adorned with poppies on the gravesite, taken a photo of the grave and uploaded the photo onto the Northern Cemetery website as a permanent record of his service.

Charles’s honour and dignity will be restored with a Plaque courtesy of the Forgotten Diggers Headstone Project.

Lest We Forget.

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