Charles OLSEN

OLSEN, Charles

Service Number: 1398
Enlisted: 2 December 1914, Oaklands, South Australia
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 10th Infantry Battalion
Born: Copenhagen, Denmark, 24 October 1881
Home Town: Broken Hill, Broken Hill Municipality, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Miner/Sailor
Died: Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Turkey, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 19 May 1915, aged 33 years
Cemetery: Shrapnel Valley Cemetery, Gallipoli
Plot III, Row D, Grave 22. Also panel 60 at the AWM, Shrapnel Valley Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey
Memorials: Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Broken Hill Barrier District Roll of Honour, Broken Hill War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

2 Dec 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1398, Oaklands, South Australia
2 Feb 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1398, 10th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1,

--- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Clan McGillivray embarkation_ship_number: A46 public_note: ''

2 Feb 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1398, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Clan McGillivray, Melbourne
25 Apr 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1398, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli
19 May 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1398, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli

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Biography

He arrived in Australia on 17 February 1912, from Denmark, travelling to Australia on board
American transport, disembarked into Bunbury, Western Australia.

He lived in Bunbury, Western Australia for 13 months;
then in Broken Hill, New South Wales for 18 months, prior to enlisting.

Last lived with friend - Robert Dyer, Oxide Street, Broken Hill, New South Wales.

11/9/1914    Applied for Certificate of Naturalisation (Australia).

Described on enlisting as 33 years 1 month old; single; 5' 5 1/2" tall; 150 lbs; fair complexion;
blue eyes; fair hair; Church of England; tattoo of dancing girl on right forearm.

2/12/1914    Enlisted at Oaklands Park, South Australia
                   Commanding Officer appointed Charles to 2nd reinforcements, 10th Infantry
                   Battalion at Morphettville Camp

2/2/1915      Embarked from Port of Melbourne, Victoria on board HMAT Clan McGillivray A46
                    as a Private in 2nd reinforcements, 10th Infantry Battalion

2/3/1915      Embarked on board Ionian to join Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli

19/5/1915    Killed in action at the Dardanelles, Gallipoli
buried in:      Divisional Cemetery, Shrapnel Gully
                    (with his comrades who had fallen on the 19/5/1915)
                    in a small unit plot illustrated in the main photograph. 
buried by:     Chaplain J C McPhee

later buried in:     Shrapnel Valley Cemetery
                          Plot III, Row D, Grave 22

Medals:
1914-15 Star (4311); British War medal (7938); Victory medal (7900);
Memorial Plaque and Memorial Scroll (305922).

May 1922 - Danish Consul General London stated:
                 "A Mr Martin Johan Ludvig OLSEN, of Engveg 8, Korsor
                  lodged an application in respect of Charles' estate.

                  Martin Olsen stated that he had a brother - Jorgen Peter Olsen,
                  known as Charles Olsen, born on 13/6/1866 in Korsor, left Denmark
                  26 years ago and had not been heard of since."

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  21/2/2015.  Lest we forget.

His personal effects were returned to AIF Base Records Melbourne 1920, awaiting a claimant.

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